


White Rose Week 2018

by Zhana



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Camping, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dreamsharing, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Marriage Proposal, Original Child Characters, Reading Together, Sharing a Bed, Sister-Sister Relationship, Teamwork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-20 16:47:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 29,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14898278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zhana/pseuds/Zhana
Summary: Collection of One-Shots for White Rose Week Prompts. Tags are in order of the relevant one-shot. Enjoy!Day 1: Teamwork, Day 2: Soulmate AU, Day 3: Struggles, Day 4: Snuggles, Day 5: Fantasy AU, Day 6: Kids, Day 7: Trust





	1. Day 1: Partnership/Teamwork: Camping Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Weiss are separated from Blake and Yang as part of a partnership-building exercise. Their task? Several days of wilderness survival far out in Forever Fall. It'll be just like a campout!

The silence over Forever Fall was serene; animals wandering through the area thankfully devoid of Grimm, making their way back towards their dens and nests. The warmth of twilight made the brilliant red foliage seem to glow as the sun set, adding to the serenity of the evening. So quiet, that even the faintest whisper drew the attentive ear of every animal in the vicinity.

"There're a few rabbits to your two-o-clock; wait for my signal and you should be able to snag a couple no problem."

"Ugh, rabbit? Really? Couldn't you, I don't know, shoot a deer?"

"Oh~? The Princess wants venison, does she?"

"It certainly sounds better than _rabbit..."_

"I don't know what to tell you; do you really think just the two of us could eat a whole deer before it started to spoil?"

"I could freeze whatever we don't cook toni-"

"Would you _please_ just _try_ the rabbit? More reasonable portions, and you might really like it!"

"Fine, fine. On your mark."

"Alright... adjust to three-o-clock... little bit back towards two... hold... now!"

The quiet of the forest was shattered, a cry like a blade cutting across ice accompanying a white blur darting out of a red bush, a flash of silver goring two rabbits unfortunate enough to be right beside each other. Immediately, every other animal in the vicinity scattered from the site of the kill; silence gradually descending upon the area again as the sounds of fleeing grew distant.

"Alright, dinner!" Ruby shouted happily, hooking Crescent Rose on a tree branch, swinging to the ground from her high perch, "That was perfect Weiss!"

"Hmph, of course," Weiss replied, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. "Thanks to your direction, that is," she added with a small smile.

Ruby returned it with her own beaming grin, collapsing and storing Crescent Rose on her back as she bent over to take a look at the two rabbits impaled on Myrtenaster. Weiss lifted the blade a bit higher while Ruby slid their catch off it. Retracting her sword once Ruby had their dinner in-hand, she pulled out a handkerchief, wiping it clean of blood.

"This is why I prefer just killing Grimm. No clean-up," Weiss muttered in distaste, tucking away the dirtied bit of cloth, sheathing her cleaned weapon at her side.

"Hey, gotta eat, and Crescent Rose is kinda unwieldy for something this small," Ruby said, shrugging.

"All the more reason just shooting a deer would have been preferable," Weiss said, crossing her arms.

"Fi~ne, if you're still craving venison tomorrow I will shoot a deer for you, happy?"

Weiss rolled her eyes, dropping her arms as she turned to walk away, "Come on, we should get back to camp."

"'kay," Ruby chirped, falling into step beside her, "Hey, do you think Grimm are drawn in by frightened animals like they are by people?"

"I'm not sure. I've never heard of anyone testing such a thing... or at least, not living to tell of their research," Weiss answered, fingers cupping her chin thoughtfully, "But all the more reason not to linger here."

Ruby nodded in agreement, the two quickly departing from the location of their hunt. Their chosen campsite was located deeper in the woods, an easily defensible cavern conveniently close to a river. Better yet, it was apparently unoccupied by any local fauna, or worse yet, Grimm. Still, as they returned they did so cautiously, weapons drawn as they entered, one of Weiss' glyphs spinning to life to provide a bit of illumination in the dying light. Finding their supplies untouched and no unexpected guests waiting in the shadows, the two relaxed, putting their weapons away before beginning to set up for the night.

"Mind going and getting some firewood while I get these guys ready?" Ruby asked, holding up the rabbits for emphasis.

Weiss agreed readily, not much relishing the idea of having to prepare the rabbits herself. Kneeling over one of their packs of supplies, she pulled out a wood-cutting axe and a cutting knife.

"You do actually know how to skin them and such, right?" she asked, handing the knife off to Ruby.

"Of course!" Ruby scoffed, laying some scraps of cloth over a fairly flat rock she could use in her preparations, "Dad taught me and Yang plenty of survivalist stuff. Always told us we'd need to use it someday."

"I see," Weiss muttered her reply, sounding rather somber all of a sudden.

A shift in tone which Ruby took note of, looking up at her partner as she lingered over her silently, seeming distracted, "...I could teach you, if you wanted?"

Weiss snapped from her trance, noticing Ruby gesturing to the rabbits she had laid out, ready to be prepared for dinner. It took her a moment to process the offer, shaking her head slowly once she did, "Another time, perhaps. I'll go get the firewood."

Ruby watched her turn on her heel, stalking out of the cave with ax in hand, turning back to her task once she was out of sight. While she used the knife to prepare their catch for dinner, outside Weiss hacked away at a few tree branches with the axe, gathering enough to both kindle and fuel a fire for the night. Once she was satisfied she had enough, she returned to the cave, grimacing at the scraps she saw Ruby had set aside in the course of her cleaning their dinner.

"You're going to get rid of all that, right?"

"Huh?" Ruby looked up as her partner returned, tossing the last of the animal bones into the pile; she then noticed that was exactly what was being referred to, "Oh! Yeah, sure. Here, hold these."

Weiss' grimace deepened, her skin crawling as Ruby had her hold the skinned carcases. Gathering the discarded scraps in the cloth she'd been working on, she disappeared in a burst of rose petals. She returned as a red blur mere moments later, sans bloody fur and bones, taking the raw meat from a thankful Weiss' hands.

"Mind building the fire while I check what we have to work with?"

Giving a little hum of agreement, Weiss moved back to the cave's mouth, setting about digging a small fire-pit, encircling it in stones before adding the kindling she'd gathered to it. A few larger branches and a bit of fire dust, and soon she had a roaring fire going, chasing away the growing shadows as night set in. Ruby knelt by the fire shortly after, setting chunks of rabbit meat up on some spits by the fire.

"So? Anything useful in the supplies?"

"Uhh... salt, pepper, couple of potatoes..."

"Not much in other words," Weiss noted, sighing.

"Well, there was a pot, so we could make a stew another time?"

"Wonderful," Weiss remarked dryly.

Ruby just smiled at her, giving a little shrug as they both sat by the fire, waiting for their meat to cook.

"I wonder how Yang and Blake are doing?"

"Knowing Blake, probably grilling fish right now instead of rabbit."

Ruby laughed at the joke, earning a faint smile from Weiss. The two planned out their night as they waited, deciding who would take the first watch, and how they should manage in the morning. Soon though, the scent filling the air had Ruby declaring that the meat should be fine to eat now.

Picking up one of the skewers by the fire, Weiss eyed her dinner warily, glancing up to see Ruby happily chowing down on hers. Sighing, both at her partner's lack of decorum and in resignation at having no other options for a meal, Weiss took her own first, hesitant bite. Perhaps it was that she was just _that_ hungry, but the fire-cooked rabbit wasn't as terrible as she'd dreaded. Soon she'd finished her first portion, and reached to take another chunk from by the fire. As she did, she noticed Ruby staring at her, looking just a bit smug.

"...what?"

"Not bad, is it?" she teased, grinning still.

"...it could be worse," Weiss conceded, taking her second helping, "It is rather plain, however."

"Well, yeah, not a lot to work with out here," Ruby agreed, already on her third piece, "Oh! Maybe sometime I could cook you something more flavourful? Really show you how tasty rabbit can be!"

"I didn't realize you were such a fan of rabbit," Weiss remarked, smirking wryly.

"Uh, well I... I mean, there are worse things, right?" Ruby replied, blushing just a bit, her free hand scratching at her cheek.

"You just want to prove that you're right about it being a better choice to venison, aren't you?"

"...maybe," she admitted, smiling at the short laugh Weiss gave in response.

"Alright, fine. Once we're back, you can properly cook some rabbit for me; see if I find it _genuinely_ appealing."

"It's a date!" Ruby declared, grinning happily, not noticing the blush that briefly warmed Weiss' pale features at her phrasing.

Once they had both finished eating, they stayed up chatting by the fire for a short time, before deciding that Ruby should turn in; Weiss having been decided on as taking the first watch. While Ruby retreated inside the cave, pulling out her sleeping bag to rest in, Weiss tried to get more-or-less comfortable by the fire. She gazed out over the crackling flames, eying the darkness of the woods beyond, looking out for any sign of curious wildlife. Or worse, as ever, Grimm.

Trying to focus on her task, and not on how much or little time was actually going by, was the best way she had to combat the boredom of her watch. Occasionally her focus would wane, her attention straying back to the cavern where her partner was resting. She could just barely make out the shape of her sleeping on the floor in the flickering light of the fire; her pale features standing out regardless in the darkness. She looked so at peace as she slept, almost content, despite the less-than-ideal situation, even as far as camping went. More than once, Weiss found herself staring back at Ruby's sleeping face; somehow finding it easier than gazing out into the darkness of the forest. She almost missed the sound of breaking undergrowth growing closer and louder.

When Ruby awoke, it wasn't to the gentle stirring of her partner waking her for her turn at watch. Instead, it was to her name being screamed, accompanied by an unnatural screeching that echoed into the night. Her eyes snapped open, sleep long forgotten as she instantly sprang out of her bag; Crescent Rose unfolding as she rushed from the cave. At first, she saw nothing, looking out into the black and red of the dark forest. Then a flash of white caught her eye, followed by more, and small glimpse of gold.

Her Semblance brought her to the fight in an instant, trees crashing around her as a Deathstalker chased after Weiss, who danced between her glyphs, deftly avoiding its claws.

"Weiss!" Ruby called to her partner, dashing backwards when the Grimm took notice of her, abruptly spinning around to try and take a swing at her.

"Took you long enough!" she admonished, coming to stand beside her.

"S-Sorry. At least you can get some sleep after this?"

"I can try," Weiss muttered, hoping that paranoia wouldn't keep her from sleep that night.

The two separated when the monstrous scorpion's stinger plunged into the ground right between where they'd been standing. They ran in opposite directions around the Grimm, dividing its attention.

"I've got its stinger!" Ruby called out.

"Roger!" Weiss shouted back, understanding instantly.

If Ruby was to manage the stinger, then that left its claws to her. She stopped running, coming to stand right in front of the skittering creature, causing it to still as she drew its attention. When it advanced on her, claws snapping dangerously as it neared, she captured one with a glyph, locking it together. She leapt up onto the other when it went for her, another glyph appearing between her legs and the carapace, locking her in place, resistant to the Grimm's attempts to throw her off. Once it realized she was properly stuck onto its claw, and that it couldn't open the other, it reared its tail back to stab at the offending Huntress.

The moment it did, Ruby practically flew right over it, Crescent Rose hooking around the raised stinger. Firing a shot, the powerful recoil fueled a slice that cleanly severed the tail in two, golden stinger falling harmlessly. Well, harmless to Weiss at least; the Grimm itself was not so lucky as the stinger embedded itself in the armor platting on its back. Flipping up in the air after severing the stinger, Ruby transformed her weapon into its gun form, taking aim in mid-air, firing several rapid shots around the stinger, further compromising the Grimm's armor plating.

As a chunk fell away, Weiss shot off its claw, seeing her opportunity to embed her blade deep into the monster. Its screeching again echoed through the night as her strike pierced the weak spot, hanging on as it flailed about before finally collapsing to the ground. Within moments, it had begun to dissipate, leaving Weiss to let out a sigh of relief.

"Aw yeah, nice one Weiss!" Ruby shouted, landing beside Weiss as close to gracefully as she could seemingly manage.

"Shh!" Weiss hissed at her, holding a finger up to her lips, whisper-snapping at her, "I'd rather we didn't draw in another one of those things!"

"Eheh, sorry," Ruby whispered back, rubbing the back of her head, "Oh! Gotta remember to thank Jaune for telling us about that trick with the stinger. Makes things so much easier."

"Indeed. Come on, let's get back. Sleep sounds... desperately good right about now," Weiss said, moving back towards the faint glimmer of fire through the trees; earlier worries of more encroaching Grimm largely replaced by exhaustion.

"Don't worry, anything else comes along, I'm sure I can handle it! You get your beauty-sleep," Ruby reassured her with just a grin.

"Don't be ridiculous," Weiss snapped at her in response.

"Huh? O-Oh! Not uh, not that you need beauty sleep, I mean," she said with a bit of a nervous laugh, "Well the beauty part at least, 'cause you definitely look like you need sleep-sleep."

"Not that," Weiss said, rolling her eyes, "If another Grimm appears, I expect you to wake me up immediately to deal with it, together. We're partners, are we not?"

Ruby blinked, lighting up with a warm smile as she nodded her head firmly, "Yeah! Definitely!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is my first attempt at fanfiction for RWBY; hopefully I did alright? Just _had_ to do something for White Rose week! Only managed to get 4 of the prompts done in advance though, and this one was done in a rush last night. But gonna try and do them all!


	2. Day 2: Soulmate AU: And You Were There

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **  
> _To die, to sleep -to sleep, perchance to dream- ay, there's the rub, for in this sleep of death what dreams may come..._  
>  **

_She was lying on the ground. How had she gotten there? Had she been sleeping, face down, on the cold, hard floor? That seemed dumb. The back of her head was pounding too. Had someone hit her? Knocked her out? Why would they do that? She pushed herself up, forcing her eyes open to look around, trying to get some bearing on what was going on. Her eyes immediately fell upon two people a few meters away; a young blonde man dressed in white and gold armor, kneeling over the prone form of a white-haired girl in a blue dress._

_Fear. For a moment that was all she felt; pure, bone-chilling terror. She was on her feet in an instant, rushing to close the gap. The blonde guy's hands were pressed to the girl's side; glowing light emanating from them spreading across her body. She reached down to raise his hands, fearing the worst. Relief washed over her when she saw that, while there was a huge hole in the dress, the flesh beneath seemed to be miraculously mending._

_She encouraged him to keep going, to help her. The fear was gone now. In its place was raw, focused anger. She leapt into action, narrowing in on those she believed responsible, coming to stand beside..._ oh, hey, Yang's here!

Ruby's eyes snapped open, blinking a few times as she gazed up at the ceiling. She turned her head from side to side, eyes eventually coming to rest on her alarm clock. " **6:47** ". A full thirteen minutes before it was set to wake her up. Frowning, she sat up, pushing past the confused vestiges of sleep. She wasn't in some strange atrium, watching someone she cared about dying. She was at home, in bed, dreaming. Or she had been, until Yang woke her up. _Again_.

Part of her thought it was comforting that her sister seemed such a constant in her dreams. The dreams of other lives, of adventures she herself would never truly experience. But then, that familiarity also made it _really_ easy for her to be snapped out of the dream, triggered by the recognition from reality. Heaving out a frustrated sigh, she pulled her blanket aside, swinging herself out of bed. Making sure to disable her alarm clock now that she was up, she made to leave her room for the washroom; might as well make the most of waking up early.

After a quick shower, she changed into a pair of rose-patterned black tights, a simple white t-shirt, and her favorite zip-up red hoodie, arriving down in the kitchen a bit before quarter-after-seven. The delectable scent of waffles and bacon wafted up to meet her as she descended the stairs, quickening her pace to the table.

"Smells delicious!" she called excitedly, taking her seat.

"Good morning Ruby! You're up early," her mother commented from where she stood at the stove, finishing up breakfast.

"Mmm, my dream kinda got... cut short."

"Yang again?" Summer asked, giggling softly.

"Ye~ah," Ruby groaned out, slumping forward against the table.

"What about me now?" another voice called from the stairwell, a head of fluffy blonde hair descending into the kitchen; lilac eyes regarding the two darker haired women present curiously.

"You made me wake up again," Ruby clarified, sticking her tongue out at her sister.

"What? What're you talkin' about; you were up before me!" Yang shot back, confused as she took her own seat at the table.

"No no, not like, actually waking me up," Ruby said with a roll of her eyes, "I mean you showed up again and it took me right out of it!"

"Oh, pfft, that," Yang laughed at her sister's plight, raising her arm to smack her back. "Remember how weirded out everyone got when you started having the dreams and I kept popping up?"

Ruby chuckled a bit awkwardly at the memory, nodding her head, "Yeah... thank God I didn't really get it at first; I think I would have died of embarrassment."

"Imagine how the rest of us felt!" Summer laughed, setting two plates of waffles with bacon and a selection of fruit in front of her daughters, "We resorted to drawing straws to decide who might have to have a long talk with Ruby..."

"Good thing she started going on about ol' Whitey soon enough," Yang said, chewing on a large stick of bacon.

"Yeah, thankfully," Ruby mumbled in agreement, spreading a generous helping of strawberries over her waffles, "You know, I never did ask. Who drew the short straw?"

"Qrow," Summer told her.

"Hah, definitely dodged a bullet there."

"Yeah, definitely..."

"So, speaking of, what's the latest?"

"Huh?" Ruby looked at Yang, mouth stuffed full of waffles.

"White-hair. What was goin' on with her in your dream?" Yang elaborated on her question.

"Oh," Ruby took a moment to swallow before answering, "I think she got stabbed or something?"

"Stabbed?!"

"Oh my," Summer hummed, taking a seat with her own plate of breakfast.

"Yeah. She was laid up on the floor, and there was this blonde guy crouching over her. I think he was healing her or something?" she explained.

"Hu~h, could it be you have a rival, hmm?" Yang teased, smirking as Ruby described her dream.

"Don't even joke about that!" Ruby cried, smacking her sister's arm, earning a laugh from her and their mother.

"So did she make it?" Yang asked once her laughter had died down.

"I dunno."

"Why not?"

"Because I saw _someone_ familiar and woke up!"

"O~h," Yang laughed nervously, "sorry 'bout that?"

Ruby huffed, resuming her breakfast indignantly. "I'm pretty sure she was going to make it though," she concluded after a few moments of silence.

"Well, that's good. Dreams with death in 'em are never a good omen."

"Right..."

"Alright, enough of the doom-and-gloom," Summer said with a clap of her hands, "if you two are about done with breakfast, should probably be getting you to school."

Agreeing, the sisters quickly finished up their breakfast, depositing their dishes in the sink. Ruby retrieving a shoulder bag and Yang a backpack, they followed their mother out to her car. The high school was a short detour on her way to work, letting her easily drop her girls off at their high school bright and early. With around a half-hour left to go before classes even began, the hallways were yet sparsely populated when Ruby and Yang arrived, giving them time to just relax before classes.

"So, what was I doing anyway?" Yang asked suddenly as they made their way to the library.

"Huh?" Ruby looked at her, confused.

"In your dream, before you woke up. What was I doing anyway?"

"Oh, uh... fighting someone, I think? You were just kinda standing there when I noticed you," Ruby told her, giggling at the disappointed frown Yang got at the boring answer, "Oh! But you had this really cool robot arm!"

"Seriously?!" Yang's expression lit right up at the idea, though her excitement did pull back after a moment, "Wait, why would I have a robot arm?"

"Iunno," Ruby replied with a shrug.

Frowning anew, Yang mimicked the shrug as they stepped into the library. While Ruby went to fetch a comic to read, Yang made her way over to a comfortable couch set aside in a reading nook, currently holding just one other person; a raven-haired girl with her face buried in a novel. Plopping down right next to the lone occupant, Yang slung her arm around her shoulders, giving her a quick half-hug as she settled in.

"Mornin' Blake! And how're you today?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Fine Yang, thank you for asking," Blake answered, her voice perfectly even, not even looking up or glancing away from her book as her personal space was invaded.

"You had cat ears in last night's dream again."

A frown replaced her previously neutral expression as she lowered her book, glancing at the blonde thoughtfully, "Again?"

Yang nodded, a playful smirk on her lips, "Yup," she confirmed.

"I swear you've told me that I have cat ears in more of our dreams than not."

"I know, right?!" Yang responded with a laugh, "I swear for _years_ I thought I would actually meet a genuine catgirl."

"So you've told me," she said, returning her attention to her book.

"And you always tell me you've never so much as owned a cat!"

"And it's true; I have not."

Yang just hummed as the familiar conversation drew to its close, cozying herself up at Blake's side. Even as she resumed reading though, Blake could feel the blonde shifting, glancing at the top of her head.

"For the thousandth time, I will never -I repeat, _never_ \- wear a cat-ear headband."

"I'm telling you, you'd look adorable!"

"So you say. The answer's still no."

"There's seriously never once been a mirror or a placid lake or _something_ that would've let you see?"

"None that I can recall."

"Hey, what're you two bickering about?" Ruby asked as she came over to join them, sitting down in a chair near the couch to read her comic, "Cat ears again?"

"Yes. I don't care in how many other lives I may have them, I will not wear one of those ridiculous anime headbands," Blake stated firmly, earning a pout from Yang and a laugh from Ruby. Lowering her book again, she snapped it shut, looking over to address Ruby with a small smile, "So, how about you Ruby? How was your dream last night?"

"Cut short," she answered with an indignant huff, leaning back in her chair as she started reading her comic.

"Another sisterly cameo?"

"Yeah. She had this robot arm though, that was kinda cool. Still bummed."

"Robot arm?" Blake asked, quirking a brow, frowning in thought, "I think I may have had a dream related to that..."

"Really?" Both sisters asked curiously.

"Mmm. I'm on the ground, my side is on fire -as is most of the room I'm in for that matter-"

"Wait, like, you're literally on fire too?" Yang cut in.

"No, metaphorical fire in my case. Anyway, I'm being threatened by this masked lunatic with a katana or something. Then I look over, and there you are. You rush in to try and save me, but he's too fast. You crash to the ground next to me, your arm flying off into the flames."

"Ooooh, I think I remember that one, actually. I think I woke up right as the sword hit me. Didn't even realize I'd lost an arm!"

"Lucky you," Blake said dryly, shaking her head as she leaned into Yang's side, "But it would explain where the robot arm in Ruby's dream came from."

"You really think it could be the same world?" Yang asked.

"Maybe... or maybe you've lost an arm in many lives," Blake suggested with a small chuckle.

Yang shuddered at the thought, pulling her arm back from around Blake's shoulders, clutching it to her chest protectively, "Ugh, don't even joke about that..."

"Wow, that sounds awful," Ruby said, having lowered her comic to give Blake her full attention as she related her older dream, "I'm kinda glad I didn't _actually_ see White get hurt..."

"She got hurt?" Blake asked, curious again about her friend's dream the night before.

"Yeah. I'm like, all groggy, like I got hit in the back of the head or something. I come to, and she's on the ground, looking half-dead, with this guy kneeling over her; trying to save her I think."

"Oh? Could it be you've got a ri-"

"Yang already did that bit," Ruby cut her off, frowning.

Blake frowned in kind, turning her head slightly, glimmering gold eyes glaring at her girlfriend.

"Sorry?" Yang offered sheepishly.

"Take away all the fun why don't you."

Before their conversation could carry on much further, the bell rang, signalling that classes would begin soon. Saying their farewells, they each got up to depart for their morning classes, planning to catch up later. The school day passed by as quick as could be hoped for, and when the last bell rang, Ruby made her way outside for practice with the Track and Field Club. Showering after practice, she changed into fresh underwear, a red shirt and a black, knee-length skirt, before leaving the school grounds, making her way to a nearby cafe. Slipping in through the back, she retrieved an apron from a locker, tying it around her back then clocking in to start her shift.

Her work day went by about the same as school had; nothing out of the ordinary. She took orders, put out fresh pastries, managed the coffee pots, made a few sandwiches, a normal day. That is, until around the last hour of her shift, when a young couple walked in; a girl with long red hair pulled back into a ponytail, and a boy with short, messy blonde hair. The boy in particular Ruby felt this nagging in the back of her head regarding, like she'd seen him before.

"Hello!" the girl greeted as they walked up to the cashier.

They briefly discussed their orders with each other, before beginning to tell them to Ruby. She, however, wasn't listening, still trying to place the boy, when at last, "Ah! I dreamed about you last night!"

The couple both blinked, soon turning a bit red; the boy more-so however, "H-Huh?! You... you what?! L-Look I'm flattered, but I'm already wi-"

" _Excuse me,_ " his girlfriend cut in, anger clearly lacing her tone, "just who do you think you are, saying something like that?!"

Ruby blinked herself, a bit taken aback by their reactions, "Uh, I er..." she thought it over for a moment, when the rather obvious implications clicked, her face quickly going as red as the boy's, "Oh! No, no, sorry! I didn't mean-! Last night was the first time I'd ever seen him pop up!" she explained, waving her hands wildly in front of her. Her explanation seemed to soothe the pair of customers, their demeanors noticeably calming.

"Ah, I see. I'm... sorry, I may have overreacted somewhat. You just never know, sometimes," the girl said, managing a small smile.

"I-It's alright. Actually, I'm kind of relieved."

"Why is that?"

"Well, in my dream he was kind of all over my dream-girl, and my sister and her girlfriend teased me about having a 'rival'," she explained, frowning.

"Really..." the girl murmured thoughtfully, sparing a sideways glance at her blonde companion.

"H-Hey! You're not gonna judge me for something another me did, right?!"

"I mean, I say 'all over', but I think he might've actually been saving her life? So, y'know, he's like a hero!"

"You know, maybe you should try to be less misleading with the things you say Miss..." the boy spoke dryly, unamused as he glimpsed her nametag, "Ruby."

"Eheh, sorry about that," she scratched at her cheek, chuckling nervously. "A-anyway," she tried to recover some measure of professionalism, "what can I get for you?"

They repeated their orders, with Ruby listening this time, quickly putting together their requested pastries and drinks.

"Thank you for coming, and sorry about the misunderstanding," Ruby said, taking their payment.

"It's fine, sorry again for jumping to conclusions about what you'd meant," the red-head told her again.

"Umm... I hope you don't mind me asking, but I can't pass up the opportunity, first time I've met someone new from a dream in years," Ruby started to say, a bit uncertainly after the rocky introduction, "Have either of you seen a white haired girl in your dreams? Or better yet, real life?"

The boy thought for a moment, humming in thought, tapping a finger to his chin, "White hair? No, I don't think we've ever-"

"Actually... I think I may have, a couple of times," his girlfriend said, cutting him off.

"Really?!" both he and Ruby exclaimed; him in surprise, Ruby in excitement.

"In dreams, yes," she confirmed with a nod.

"Huh. Why don't I remember seeing her then?"

"I'm not sure... though... I think I can recall a vague, distant sense of... resentment? Something akin to that, whenever I glimpse her," she cupped her chin in thought, "Perhaps someone you're prone to getting a crush on, before we begin spending more time together?" Ruby frowned at the idea, mimicking the girl's own expression.

"C-C'mon now, didn't we just go over this? Not judging me for what others mes do...?" he mumbled, noticing their nigh-identical expressions.

"Mind if I got your number?" Ruby asked, taking out her phone, "Might not be the same girl, but if you did happen to recognize her when you're awake... I'd really appreciate it."

"Of course," she nodded in agreement, taking out her own phone, quickly exchanging information with Ruby. "My name's Pyrrha, by the way, and this is Jaune," she said, gesturing to her boyfriend.

"Nice to meet the both of you!" Ruby beamed, "And thank you so much for agreeing to help keep a look-out."

"My pleasure. Have a nice night," Pyrrha said, smiling at Ruby as she and Jaune turned to take their leave.

"Ah! You too! And come again!"

Ruby left work that night with a smile on her face. She may not have met her dream-girl just yet, but she had met someone from her dreams outside her family, and that was a step in the right direction! It filled her with hope; the vague sense that she was getting closer to meeting her.

* * *

_She was lying on the ground. Had she been sleeping, flat on her back, on the cold, hard floor? That seemed idiotic. Everything hurt, yet at the same time, nothing did. The conflicting sensations of pure, agonizing pain and gentle, soothing relief were focused most at her side. Her vision slowly came into focus, an unfamiliar blonde man crouched over her, hands hovering over her side. Was he the source of the pain, or the relief? Relief, she concluded. Her body then, was the cause of the agony._

_Looking around, she glimpsed a skirmish occurring around her. She couldn't make out much; mostly just blurs back and forth. A girl standing over her rushed off to join the fighting, engaging with one absolutely hulking figure. She wanted to join them, but she couldn't. She could barely move. Her vision slowly cleared, the agony gradually lessening, feeling coming back to her body. She watched the hulking combatant go flying, crashing through a nearby wall, stunning the rest of the fighters into a brief reprieve._

_Light flooded in through the windows, a sound echoing, stirring her mind further. Looking around, she recognized no one; save for two figures standing together. She vaguely recollected a woman with long, bushy blonde hair and a mechanical arm, panting heavily. The girl dressed in red beside her though, looking out over the others in the room with worry in her silvery eyes, her she knew well; the sight of her like a beacon in the darkness. She felt the pain subside, the relief that had accompanied it likewise replaced with a swelling force inside her._

_She stood, wind gusting around her as she was surrounded by a brilliant, icy white light. The echoing sound was growing louder. She thought she saw something like a giant lance connected to a steel cable fly over her, hitting the hulking brute who'd been knocked outside dead in the chest. She reeled him back inside; hopefully to be knocked around some more by whoever had thrown him from the building in the first place. As she watched him clamour to the ground, she noticed another figure coming towards the hole in the wall he'd been pulled through; a girl with long black hair, dressed in an open white coat._

_The very air seemed to still, the attention of almost everyone in the room focusing upon the newcomer. Why? Why was she so important? With her attention on the busted wall, she could hear the echo of a siren even clearer. She felt her gaze on her at first; or perhaps something behind her? Where had that lance come from? The girl's gaze quickly fell to the slightly familiar blonde however, their eyes locking, the room somehow feeling even stiller than before. For an instant, she was merely observing this scene, everything else fading away. Fading away, except for that blasted siren..._

Weiss let out a quiet groan, her arm rising and swinging out to smack her alarm clock, quieting the annoying blare. The scene of combatants fighting in an open foyer faded from her eyes entirely, replaced by the familiar view of her ceiling. Her mouth stretched open in an undignified yawn, her hand moving to cup her side; a ghostly sensation of soreness coming from her light touch. Not the most pleasant dream, all-in-all. At least she didn't remember being wounded? Or perhaps the context would have made it hurt less? Hopefully she'd never find out.

Barely any focus on the dark-haired beauty dressed in red that was always present in her dreams too. That was disappointing. Letting out a sigh, she threw aside her blanket, climbing out of bed. Her morning routine began with a shower, dressing herself in her school uniform once she was out. Once her hair was pulled up into her preferred off-center ponytail, she made her bed before going out to her kitchen; making a simple meal of toast and eggs.

After eating, she left her apartment, waiting briefly for the bus which took her to the private academy she studied at. Though there was some challenge to the advanced placement classes she took, it did little to distract from the general monotony of her day. Listening to the same teachers drone on, and the same gossip over dreams during free time. Occasionally someone would come up to her, professing that they'd seen her in their dreams; the reputed "Ice Queen" never spared more than a "Never seen you before" to such suitors.

The one time she did recognize someone, deciding to give him the benefit of an actual conversation, she'd quickly deduced that he was in denial about being in love with his best friend. Hadn't heard from him since. Had he ever come around? Was his partner as in denial, or simply suffering in silence? Maybe she should try and ask one of these days; she had exchanged numbers with him, after he'd recognized the description of her dream girl. Maybe if he ever called her with a sighting.

Once last bell had rung, she made her way to the gymnasium, joining her teammates in the changing room to get ready for practice with the Fencing Club. Her teammates were the closest she felt she had to friends at school, yet she couldn't recall having ever spent time with them outside of practice or matches. Maybe a victory dinner after a tournament? She certainly couldn't recall simply getting together with any of them after practice. And with no part-time job to keep her occupied, her evenings often felt rather... sparse.

Feeling like she should study at least a bit more for an upcoming test, but not wanting to return home just yet, Weiss decided to get some peace and quiet at the local library. Maybe she could get something to eat while she was out? Arriving at the building, she recognized a few other students from her school vaguely; particularly studious individuals like herself, perhaps.

She was passing by the stacks of books making up the history section when something caught her eye. She almost just continued on her way, but some part of her urged her to take a step back. Glancing down the aisle, she didn't really see what had drawn her to it; many large texts bulging out of the shelves, and a lone worker picking books off a cart, setting them back in their proper place. Had it just been the movement of this black haired girl that had made her take a second look? Looking at the librarian closer however, she began to get a sense of recognition. Then it clicked.

Her dream, from the night before. She felt her pulse quickening just slightly; this was only the second time she'd seen someone from one of her dreams, excepting her sister once or twice. She barely even noticed that she was stepping forward until she was standing right in front of the cart; the black-haired librarian apparently not having noticed her.

Weiss stood there for a few moments, just sort of gawking, unnoticed, uncertain of what to say, "E-Excuse me?"

"Hmm?" Blake perked up from her task, turning to look at her, "Yes? How may I hel-" she stopped short, gold eyes going wide when she saw Weiss, "White hair," she muttered in awe.

Weiss blinked in confusion, a bit taken aback by the sudden comment, "Ex...cuse me?" she repeated.

Blake shook her head, snapping back to attention, suddenly taking a step towards Weiss, "Listen, I'm sorry if this sounds a bit odd, but does a girl with black hair that has a crimson undercurrent, and that loves wearing red and black, sound at all familiar?"

Weiss blinked again, her heart rate absolutely pounding in her chest now as she nodded her head rapidly, "Y-Yes! You don't... do you know her?!" she asked, suddenly excited. She'd hoped for maybe another pair of eyes helping in her search, but to think that she might actually know her!

A grin spread across Blake's face as she reached out to grab Weiss' hand, "You're coming to dinner with me tonight."

"...huh?"

* * *

 

Ruby was usually the last of her family to arrive home for dinner, which they had taken to eating increasingly late in the evening as her and Yang got busier with school and part-time jobs. Blake too, once she and Yang had met; they alternated back and forth between which of them went over to the others house for dinner which nights. She was pretty sure they'd been absent the night before, so that meant they'd be here tonight!

"I'm home!" she called, stepping through the back door, inhaling the heavenly scent of her mother's cooking, "Oh! Guess what? I actually ran into that 'rival' at work today! Maybe it's a good omen?" she yelled absentmindedly to her waiting family as she set her things aside by the door, "His girlfriend even said she thought she recognized her description, and would keep an eye out for me!"

She'd barely heard it at first over her own voice and the shuffling of her stuff, but what had begun as a faint snickering from the dining room had turned into full-blown, echoing laughter from her sister. She remembered the first time _she_ ran into someone she thought could be a lead on meeting Blake; she'd been excited the rest of the week! What was she laughing at her for?!

"Yang shush," she heard her mother's voice, barely, over the subsiding laughter, "That's wonderful Ruby, but umm..." she heard the hintings of laughter in Summer's voice as well. What was so funny? "Blake has a surprise for you."

A surprise? What could that be? Her birthday was still like, half a year away, and it's not like Blake hadn't gotten her anything the year before. Maybe it was a book she'd picked out at the library that she thought she might like? Blake's recommendations _were_ usually pretty spot-on. Both her and Yang had gotten hooked on entire series based off her suggestions previously.

"Alright, what's my surpri-" Ruby began to ask as she stepped around the corner into the dining room, stopping entirely when she took note of the occupants.

There were her parents, Yang and Blake, of course, as she'd expected. Uncle Qrow had even dropped by! That was always a treat. But she barely even noticed his presence. Or any of them, in fact. The sum of her attention was drawn to a white-haired stranger seated beside Blake. No, not a stranger. Not really. She recognized her instantly. She'd seen this girl every night in her dreams for years now.

Ruby stood in the entryway, dumbstruck, staring at her. Weiss meanwhile, was staring down directly at her lap, unable to raise her gaze. How long had she waited for this day? It almost didn't seem real. Yet she knew the moment she looked up would confirm it. Slowly, she willed herself to do so, pale blue eyes trailing up black and red clothing until finally meeting the silver that had haunted her dreams for ages.

They both felt as though they were frozen in that moment. Ruby's family was not though, looking back and forth between the two girls locking eyes, waiting for one of them to do... something. Their new house guest finally obliged; bringing an end to their staring contest when her eyes fluttered, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

"He-Hello, I'm Weiss. Weiss Schnee. It's uh... it's a pleasure to meet you," she said shyly, raising a hand to wave to the girl standing in the hall.

"H-Hi Weiss, I'm uh... I'm Ruby. Rose! Ruby Rose," she replied with a nervous giggle. Silence again reigned for a few tense, awkward moments before Ruby spoke again, "Wanna um... c-come up to my room? And uh... talk?"

"Sure! Y-Yes, of course, that's... I'd love to," Weiss answered, the first word out of her mouth along with her rise from the table seeming just a bit too eager. Not that anyone blamed her.

She mumbled a quick apology, thanking Summer for the food she'd partaken of as she slipped around Blake, walking over to Ruby. They stood awkwardly together for a moment before Ruby took her hand, leading her out of the dining room, off towards the stairs. The rest of her family sat at the dinner table, watching her disappear with the girl of her dreams.

"...were we that useless when we first met?" Blake asked, breaking the silence that held them.

"God, I hope not," Yang chimed in, grimacing even as she chuckled at the thought.

"Oh you definitely were," her father chimed in, smirking at his eldest, "I have the photos to prove it."

"Wait, Tai, did you remember to get some of them just now?!" Summer exclaimed worriedly, the fear on her face soon replicated by her husband.

"Do~n't worry 'bout it, I gotcha covered," Qrow slurred from his seat, gesturing to a camera set up on the fireplace mantle with a perfect view of the dining room table.

While her parents let out sighs of relief, Ruby finished leading Weiss upstairs to her bedroom, closing the door behind them before flicking on a light. While Weiss took a moment to examine her new surroundings, Ruby took the time to examine her; felt prudent given how she was slowly turning, taking the room in. She got caught when she returned her focus to her however, both girls blushing and quickly looking away from each other for a moment.

"So..." Ruby started to break the silence.

"So..." Weiss echoed her.

"...wanna make out?"

"What?!" Weiss gasped, aghast, blushing as red as Ruby's shirt.

"So-Sorry! I-I didn't- it just slipped out!" she exclaimed, her face equally matched to her shirt, waving her hands in front of her wildly, "I just... couldn't get this one dream, from a couple nights ago out of my head..."

Weiss blinked, thinking about it for a moment, raising a hand to cover her burning face as she recalled the dream she meant. She'd be lying if she said her thoughts hadn't also... lingered, upon it.

"I... yes, that one was rather... vivid, wasn't it?" Ruby nodded an 'Mhmm' in response, having pulled her hood over her head to try and hide, much like Weiss was with her hand, "Still though, I'd... I would prefer to get to know you better first, before considering any sort of... re-enactment."

"R-Right! Yeah, totally! Definitely!" Ruby agreed, perhaps a bit too vehemently, "About getting to know each other I mean!" she quickly clarified, uncovering her head as she stumbled over to sit on her bed, patting the spot beside her.

Weiss nodded, smiling a bit as she took the offered seat, "So... tell me about yourself?"

It took the two a while to get going, but soon they established an enjoyable back-and-forth. They started off simple enough, talking about school, clubs, work in Ruby's case, their hopes, dreams, aspirations, interests. As the evening wore on, they were eventually interrupted by Ruby's grumbling stomach, and Weiss insisted that they should go back downstairs so she could get something to eat.

The rest of her family had finished eating by then, but Summer easily pulled out two portions she'd left ready to be heated in the oven for the both of them to enjoy. The two of them were able to continue their conversing as they enjoyed the home-cooked meal, and longer still into the night once they'd both finished. It was a common story, they knew. To have just met someone, and yet be so comfortable with them. So simultaneously familiar and not. But hearing about it from friends and family who had found their dreamer was one thing; to experience it was something else entirely.

"You could... you could stay the night, i-if you like?" Ruby suggested in the late hours of the night. Weiss had declared that she should probably get home soon, and had called for a cab which had just arrived outside. Ruby would have made mention of her parent's permission too, but she'd quickly realized that family was something of a sore-spot for Weiss.

Weiss blushed at the offer as she stood to by the front door, slipping her shoes on, "I... that is... tempting, but..."

"Too soon?" Ruby guessed, rubbing at the back of her head as she let out a nervous giggle.

"A bit..."

"Sorry if I keep coming across as too... forward?"

"Mmm... don't be," Weiss told her, smiling at her as she stepped out the door, Ruby following her out onto the front porch, "I... I think I kind of like it."

"Really? Well... I hope this much is fine then," Ruby said, before leaning in, softly brushing her lips against Weiss' cheek in a brief, chaste kiss, smiling warmly as she leaned back away. She thought it was cute when Weiss went bright red, stiffening up like a board. She grew worried when she stayed like that for what felt like a solid minute, "Weiss?"

"Ah! Yes, that... that was fine," she said, snapping from whatever trance she'd been in, "I'll... I'll be going now."

"Kay. It was... it's wonderful, to finally meet you, Weiss," Ruby said with a beaming smile.

Weiss stopped for a moment on her walk to the waiting cab, turning to return the smile, "It was lovely to meet you too, Ruby."

"See you tonight?"

"Always."


	3. Day 3: Struggle: My Own Version

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Ruby had been eavesdropping when Weiss went to talk to Yang about Blake?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **  
>  _Enemies surround me, but the worst appear as friends; liars and pretenders only seek to reach their ends - Everything is breaking, right before my eyes._ **

Ruby didn't know what to do. She'd tried to be the best leader that she could be, to match the promise that Weiss had made her their second night as teammates and partners. She had her regrets; about if she could've made a better choice, or simply been _better_. But at the very least, she thought she had a handle on _leading_. On knowing those who would follow her, earning the trust that came with that, and being able to help them as a leader and friend.

Except, she was finding, where her sister was concerned. That was among one of her stand-out regrets; leaving her sister when she _knew_ she should have been there for her. But other regrets, and the fear of what inaction could lead to, had won out. When they'd first been reunited, she'd been terrified, fearing that her sister would hate her for leaving. Barely able to think straight, let alone compose a coherent sentence. Those fears had been quashed when her big sister wrapped her arms around her, holding her tight, returning the simple, unanswered "I love you" that had tormented the back of her thoughts for _months_.

She'd thought, hoped, that maybe it would just be that simple. Then, hardly a day later, she'd brought up Blake, wishing she was there with them.

 _"Yeah, well, she made her choice,"_ had not been the response she expected from her sister; Blake's own partner, her voice growing louder and more bitter as she went on. _"Don't tell me to calm down!"_ she'd shouted, eyes raging red before storming off.

Ruby didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to say. Didn't know how to broach this problem. How to comfort or advise her own sister. She realized it was always the other way around; always Yang who comforted her. She might have been their team leader, but she was still Yang's little sister. So, she just followed Weiss inside after her, mind reeling, trying to think of... anything. Anything at all she could say to try and be the leader she knew her big sister needed.

She stood back around the corner as Weiss knocked on the door, Yang's voice calling, "Yeah?" a hesitant moment after.

At first she moved to follow as Weiss opened the door, stepping inside, stopping when the next words came, "Look Ruby, I really don't want to talk about it, okay? Can you just leave me alone for a bit?"

Yang spoke calmly; sounding more tired than anything, but still the words felt like a stab in the gut. She saw Weiss glance back at her briefly, quickly motioning for her to go in without her; a quick exchange Yang didn't notice with her head hanging down.

"Oh... hey, Weiss... did you need something?" she said, taking notice of who was visible at the door.

Weiss stepped inside, half-glancing behind her as she shut the door. Ruby was left alone in the hallway, simply standing, staring at the closed door for what was a few seconds at most, yet it felt like an eternity. She heard Yang's voice through the walls, her voice building as she stepped closer, leaning against the wall beside the door, sinking down to the floor.

Ruby heard her sister begin ranting at their teammate, at her partner, yet one accusation stuck out to her.

"I don't think you know what it's like to be left!" the guilt returned tenfold, "My mom left me. Ruby's mom left too," and so did she, "Tai was always busy with school and Ruby couldn't even talk yet. _I_ had to pick up the pieces. _I_ had to keep things together. _Alone_." And she'd left her. Alone.

She felt helpless. She felt like crying. All she did though was clasp a hand quietly over her mouth, stifling any noise. All she felt like she _could_ do, was hope that Weiss could do for her sister what she just... couldn't. She knew that she could. Knew she could trust her to help Yang.

"When I was ten, my dad finally admitted to my mom, that the only reason he married her, was for the family name. It was actually _on_ my birthday; he missed the big dinner, she got mad, he finally snapped."

It was fortunate she was already covering her mouth; it masked the horrified gasp at that revelation. Weiss had never really talked about her home life, about her family, before. They'd known it was bad; there had been hints and vague allusions made during their time at Beacon, but to hear her say it plainly now... suddenly some things made a lot more sense. And still, she could do nothing.

She listened closely, all she could do, as Weiss went on about how her family had deteriorated. About the loneliness she'd endured; how as awful as it was, it let her empathize with Yang, and with Blake. They argued briefly, and for a moment Ruby was worried that Yang would explode again; storm off, finding her hiding outside like a coward.

Instead, "What if I needed her here for me?" and weak, barely restrained sobs.

Her big sister, the person she looked up to the most in the whole world, was hurting this bad. This deep. And she couldn't think of a single thing to do to help her. She wanted to just break down, cry into her knees, curse her own weakness. But that wouldn't help anyone. How could she ever be there for her sister if this was how she acted? If she just curled up, accepted defeat, and bawled her eyes out like she always had? No. She had to be better. Stronger. So that if not today, then she could be there for her sister in the future. Like she always had been for her.

"And... I know we're not as close, but I'm here for you too."

Now seemed as good a time as any. Standing up, she knocked on the door, pushing it open a moment later.

"Is uh... is everything okay?" Ruby asked, silver eyes flicking around the room nervously; avoiding her sister at first. Internally scolding herself again, she quickly corrected herself, focusing on Yang like she should be.

She felt relief wash over her at how... serene she looked. Tears already drying up in her calm, lilac eyes, "Yeah. It is," Yang answered her with a smile.

* * *

 

"Thank you, Weiss."

"Hmm? What for?"

It was later in the evening now, Ruby and Weiss were sitting in the living room sharing a drink. Qrow and Ozpin were up in his room; plotting something relating to their upcoming meeting with Lionheart, while Yang, Jaune, Ren and Nora were downstairs training.

"For talking to Yang, duh," Ruby answered with a distressingly humorless chuckle.

Weiss regarded her partner silently for a moment, concerned by her tone, before replying, "I was happy to. I meant what I said to her; I would do anything for the three of you."

Her words put a small smile on Ruby's lips as she sipped at her coffee, her head nodding slightly, "Still... thank you. You have no idea just how much it means to me."

"Ruby, I know you'd have done the same-"

"No! I couldn't have!" Weiss was startled by the sudden anguish that Ruby spoke with, "Even if Yang had wanted to talk to me then, I... I wouldn't have known what to say," she admitted, staring down into her cup. She sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly, "So thank you Weiss. Thank you so, so much for being there for her, when I couldn't be."

Weiss watched Ruby raise her head, giving her a small, yet incredibly genuine smile. Overcoming her surprise from when she'd raised her voice, Weiss gave a small nod, returning the smile, "I meant that too; that I'd be there for her. And Blake," she rose from her seat, walking over to sit down beside Ruby, reaching a hand out to grasp her shoulder comfortingly, "and you too."

Ruby felt herself flushing a bit at the contact, sighing as she raised her cup to take another sip, "I'm supposed to be the leader..."

"And I'm the best teammate ever, remember?" Weiss said with a chuckle, lifting a finger to poke Ruby's cheek.

"Heh. You definitely are," Ruby told her, giggling softly at the poke.

Weiss smiled warmly, though her expression grew a bit more somber as she shifted to get comfortable beside Ruby, "I understand, you know. About feeling like you couldn't be there for her... wouldn't know what to say."

"Really?" Ruby questioned, a bit disbelieving, but also hopeful that Weiss could understand what she was going through too.

"Of course," Weiss' smile warmed again as she looked at Ruby, "she's your big sister. If it were Winter... I wouldn't know how to take it either. She's always just been..."

Ruby stared back at her partner thoughtfully as she trailed off, smiling thankfully; realizing she did know exactly what she was feeling, "Yeah. Exactly," Ruby nodded her head, "Well, you were there for my big sister, so I hope someday I can be there for yours too!"

Weiss chuckled dryly before letting out a worried sigh, "Thank you, Ruby; though I certainly hope that you don't have to..."

"Yeah..." Ruby mumbled, understanding perfectly how distressing the possibility that her sister would _need_ the help was, "But I do want to be there, for everyone. Yang, Blake, Jaune, Ren, Nora, Winter... and you too."

"Thank you, Ruby."

The two sat together, drinking in a comfortable silence for a time. Neither even seemed to consciously notice Weiss' posture relaxing, leaning into Ruby; both of them enjoying the quiet.

"So... I take it that you overheard our talk?" Weiss asked, though she highly doubted that Ruby had just walked away after she'd left her outside the room.

"...I'm sorry," Ruby answered her quietly.

"Don't be," Weiss said with a faint chuckle, "I'm... glad, that the both of you know now."

"No, not that... I mean, I am sorry for like, eavesdropping; I should've let you and Yang have some privacy-"

"What did I just say?" Weiss laughed quietly again.

"R-Right..."

"So, what did you mean to say you were sorry for then?"

"For trying to get you to celebrate your birthday when you didn't want to; when we were back at Beacon."

Weiss let out another, louder laugh, scoffing at the idea, "That you definitely don't have to be sorry about."

"But-"

"No buts. I know I was... difficult, back then."

"Well, yeah, but I mean... now I know _why_. If I'd known back then, I'd have never tried to push it so much."

"Then I'm glad you didn't."

Ruby blinked in surprise, glancing at her partner (whom she was only just now realizing was leaning in as close as she was), "Huh?"

"Do you know why I hated celebrating my birthday, for years?"

"Umm... yeah? That whole thing with your tenth birthday you told Yang about?"

Weiss sighed softly, smiling wryly, "That's... part of it, but not quite the whole picture."

"Okay..."

"Do you mind if I tell you about it?" Weiss asked, turning her head to gaze up at Ruby's face.

"I-If you want," Ruby answered, averting her eyes nervously.

"Thank you," Weiss' smile brightened, and Ruby felt her curl up just a bit closer to her, resting her head on her shoulder, "It's true that my tenth birthday was a particularly awful memory, but... my birthdays had never been particularly enjoyable."

"Why not?"

"It was fine when I was just a child; ignorant of my parents feelings. Moreover, ignorant of the feelings of the party guests."

"Party guests?"

"Mmm. Never anyone I invited, of course. Always business partners, exploitable rivals, potential clients for the SDC. As a child, I relished the lavish gifts they brought. Basked in the praise they would heap upon the talents my father loved to flaunt," she let out a sigh, frowning as she reflected upon the distant memories, "As I grew older, I came to realize how... empty, it all was. The gifts, the praise, the attention... none of it was for me. Every single one of them was simply looking for an in. Some show of wealth or prestige to draw my father's eye. Ten was the turning point. After that, I just... stopped being able to fool myself into thinking my birthday was anything but a sideshow."

At some point, one of Ruby's arms had slipped around Weiss' waist, hugging her just a bit closer as she leaned on her. As she concluded her story, she reached her other arm around her, pulling her into a warm hug, "So... when we tried to push the issue of your birthday, you thought-"

"Don't," Weiss gently admonished her, an arm shifting to lightly dig at Ruby's ribs, "I know better now. I knew then too; that none of you were like that. I simply didn't know how to deal with that, back then."

"And now?"

"Now... I'm thankful, to know I have people who truly care about me."

Ruby blinked, confused at first when Weiss shifted to pull away from her side (and at the simultaneous relief and disappointment she felt as she did). Her eyes widened when, rather than pull from her arms entirely, her partner shifted to straddle her lap, arms wrapping loosely around her neck, her head tipping down to rest her forehead against hers.

Wide, awe-struck silver gazed up into calm, contemplative ice, "Stop me if this is too much?"

Ruby wanted to shake her head, but that would displace Weiss', which was something she absolutely didn't want. When she tried to speak, she found her voice caught uselessly in her throat, savoring the feeling of Weiss' breath ghosting over her lips. What she realized she could manage then, was squeezing her arms a bit tighter around Weiss' middle. Her cheeks warmed at the smile she watched spread across Weiss' lips as she felt the motion.

"Good."

She wrapped her arms around Ruby's neck tighter, tipping her head just slightly lower, closing the small distance between their lips. All was quiet, neither of them so much as breathing, closing their eyes, shifting to lean even just that little bit more into the kiss, tightening their hold on one another, refusing to let go.

It was slow and slight when at last they parted; panting softly for air, feeling each other's warmth against their lips still. Eyes opened half-lidded still, silver and icy blue locked together, unwilling to stray. Weiss' eyes opened wider first, a warm smile blossoming on her face.

"You'll make sure of it, right? That my next birthday is a happy one?"

Ruby's eyes flickered, brow quirking slightly as she struggled to comprehend what was being said to her. As the realization dawned on her, her mouth fell into a lazy grin.

"First of many."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So "Path to Isolation" is a really good song. Like _really_ good. This was one of the prompts I struggled with (And it's somewhat rushed as a result), and it's entirely thanks to that song I thought of anything for it at all.
> 
> I thought about adding in a third part to the story, between what's basically just me transcribing Weiss and Yang's talk from "Alone Together" from Ruby's theoretical point of view, and the more original, White Rose-y part. It would've been a flashback to an attempted birthday party that Ruby alludes to, but honestly just couldn't really think of anything beyond that basic premise. So oh well.
> 
> Anywho, Day 3! Hope that any readers enjoy my attempt at an emotional struggle (Not my forte by any remote means).


	4. Day 4: Snuggles: Ruby introduces Weiss to Fiction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss Schnee was not a casual reader. Why waste her time on some unrealistic fable when there was studying to be done?

It was a dark and stormy night over Beacon, though perhaps "Stormy" was an exaggeration. A modest downpour would be more accurate; dark clouds and heavy rain, but little in the way of thunder, lightning or wind. The kind of weather that encouraged people to huddle in the warmth of their home, curled up with a good book rather than spending their evening out and about. Such was the quiet evening being had in the dormitory of team RWBY, each member of the quartet enjoying some peaceful reading to the ambient noise of rainwater gently cascading against their window. Or rather, three of them were.

Blake Belladonna was the group's resident bookworm by reputation; the four stacks of novels used to precariously balance her partner's bed above her own a small fraction of her collection. Like the rest of her team, she had already changed into her sleepwear for the night, sitting curled up in her bed, lazily flicking through the pages of one of her favorite romances. Her shining golden eyes never left the pages, but the feline ears perched atop her head of long black hair did occasionally twitch towards the window; drawn infrequently to the faint, distant sound of echoing thunder.

Her partner in the bunk above was widely regarded as somewhat the opposite; Yang Xiao-Long was far more prone to action than sitting down to read. But her love of adventure had started somewhere, and as much as she might prefer to live the stories herself, she loved reading or hearing them all the same. But the weather seemed to disagree with her tonight; since she couldn't live it, one of the novels that had inspired her as a child would suffice. So engrossed in the read and the pleasant atmosphere of the rainy night, she'd already fallen asleep; long blonde hair spread out around her, her book half covering her face as her soft snores added to the ambiance.

Yang had of course shared her love of stories with her little sister growing up, always happy to read one of her novels to her. Even now, in the top bunk across from hers, Ruby was laid out comfortably, flipping through one of her comic books - graphic novels!- as she would fiercely defend the larger, more thought-out collections.

Which only left Ruby's own partner. But while three beds were occupied, owners enjoying their tales of choice, the fourth below Ruby's sat empty. Weiss Schnee was not simply "Reading"; she was _"Studying”_. Rather than lie in her bed, she sat at her desk across from the foot of her bunk, textbooks and notes strewn about before her as she worked. Was this not a more efficient use of her time and evening? It wasn't as if she disliked simply _reading_ for its own sake; fairy tales, high-fantasy, science-fiction, historical dramatizations, romances, they were all fine and good. She had simply found herself moving away from such stories as she grew up. She had more important things to focus on.

So she studied. Diligently, constantly, persistently. And, she felt quite proud to say, the results of her efforts were plain to see; her grades were at the absolute top of every class. But that was no reason to start slacking, none at all. If she wanted to remain at the top -which she most certainly did- she had to keep up her studies as ever. Unlike _some_ people.

Her mouth pursed into a firm line, eyes narrowing in irritation at a faint noise in the background. Not the rain, that was easy enough to ignore. The sound of one of her teammates snoring, on the other hand, was not. Glancing over her shoulder, Weiss' scarred eye peeked back at Yang's bunk, able to make out the blonde splayed out on top of her comforter, fast asleep. It wasn't as if her snoring was particularly _loud_. Really, she could barely hear the noise over the rain against the window. But somehow she was irritated nonetheless. Perhaps she was over-focusing, if such a minor thing was getting to her so? Too much studying?

Her eye was drawn to the book splayed open, covering Yang's face as she slept. Then down to the one held in Blake's hands. Turning, she looked over her other shoulder, up at Ruby sequestered away in her nest, similarly engrossed in her story. Returning her attention to the books spread out across her, she stared down at the densely packed text. She quickly found that, no matter how hard she stared, she couldn't regain her focus on the words intended to impart the straight and true knowledge of their subject matter. Her neutral expression dipped into a frown as she let out a sigh, moving to rise out of her chair. Curse it all, she need a _break._

A quick walk would do. And, she noticed, her coffee mug was empty. Stretching her legs down to the dorm's shared kitchen would hopefully suffice and she could return to studying. Grabbing her mug, she walked over to the side of her bed, reaching to hoist herself up to the level of her partner's suspended bed.

"Ruby?" she called softly to get her attention, not wanting to break the quiet atmosphere in the room by speaking too loudly.

"Hmm?" Ruby blinked, slowly coming out of her trance, raising her gaze to notice Weiss sitting by her feet, "Oh, hey Weiss! What's up?" she chirped happily; despite the excitement of her tone, she too kept her voice low.

"I was going to go make myself some coffee, would you like me to get you a mug too?"

"Oh, that'd be great, thanks Weiss," Ruby replied with a nod, smiling warmly at the offer.

Returning the nod and smile, Weiss shifted to climb back down to the floor. Glancing over, she noticed one of Blake's feline ears briefly swiveled towards her and Ruby's beds.

"Any for you, Blake?"

"I'm alright, thank you though," the Faunus replied, not looking up from her book.

Nodding her head, mostly to herself given Blake hadn't even raised her gaze, Weiss took Ruby's coffee mug from her nightstand and took her leave. The air out in the hallway felt rather cool compared to their dorm room; pleasantly so, as she'd hoped. It felt nice to stretch her legs, feeling the slightly cooler air gently breezing by them as she walked. The faint noise of the rain, muffled by distance to the outermost walls, grew steadily louder again as she neared the kitchen.

While the hallway was lit by dimmed lanterns lining the walls, she found the kitchen was quite dark as she stepped through the threshold. The only light came from lampposts outside, distorted by the flowing water coating the windows. She didn't bother to turn on a light, the atmosphere provided by what little there was being rather comforting. She could still see after all, and made her way over to where the coffee maker was kept on the counter, setting it to brew her preferred blend.

Fingers rapping against the countertop as she waited on the machine, Weiss' thoughts drifted back to her texts; figuring she could mentally review the material before returning to her books. As she thought on what she'd read over already, she realized that she couldn't actually remember a thing. Frowning in frustration, she tensed up, thinking on it harder. What chapter had she been on? What was the topic it covered? What had been the previous one? Actually, what subject had she been reading for that matter?

An involuntary groan escaped her lips, a hand reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she remember? This defeated the very purpose of her fervent studying! What if she blanked like this on a test? Now she was going to have to reread the material she'd already gone over and hope it stuck. Another groan came, which she found surprising. How else was she to ensure she was properly prepared?

Before she could over-think her problem further, she heard the ding of the coffee maker, signalling her that it had finished. Sighing, she pushed the issue aside for the moment to prepare her and Ruby's drinks. Just a small bit of cream and hers was finished. Ruby, however, required much more cream plus five helpings of sugar. She found herself smiling in spite of herself as she finished preparing the childishly saturated drink. Honestly that girl; yes coffee was meant to help with staying awake, but she might be overdoing it.

Finishing with the drinks, she cleaned up a bit and left the kitchen. Quietly opening the door to her room, she found everything just as she'd left it. Yang fast asleep up on her bed, Blake curled up in hers beneath, and Ruby lounging up on her suspended bunk. Setting her mug of coffee down on her desk, she walked over to her and Ruby's beds.

"Ruby?" she called out to again grab her partner's attention from her comic.

Giving a little start, she looked away from the pages to see Weiss standing there, holding the mug of steaming, comforting coffee out for her.

"Oh! Thanks Weiss!" Ruby whisper-cried, happily taking the mug.

Weiss watched her set down her book, cupping her drink in both hands, blowing at the steam before taking a tentative sip of her sweetened coffee. In short order, the Heiress' eyes glanced down at the book her partner had momentarily set aside, then over to her own textbook-laden desk, then back up to Ruby sipping her coffee. Comic, texts, Ruby. Comic, texts, Ruby.

"...what are you reading?" she asked suddenly, barely loud enough to even be heard.

"Huh?" Ruby blinked, looking down at her, clearly either not having heard her fully, or not comprehending if she had.

This was her out. She could easily dismiss that she'd said anything at all. Go back to her studies, refresh herself as her earlier lapse showed she clearly should. Instead she repeated herself, "What are you reading?"

"Oooooh!" she grinned, gently perching her mug between her feet so she could pick her book back up, showing Weiss the cover.

Weiss hadn't been expecting much from one of Ruby's comics -sorry, "graphic novels"- but what she was shown still surprised her. The book's cover was a beautifully drawn illustration of a red-headed woman dressed in fine golden armor, kneeling in a rose patch. The armor was decorated in rose motifs to mirror the garden in which the woman knelt, the sword she held stabbed in the ground even having one growing from its pommel. It seemed almost hilariously appropriate, given who she was talking to.

"It's this really cool story about fairy tale characters who are forced to leave the world of their stories, and take refuge in ours! And they have to deal with a bunch of stuff like internal murder plots, weird inter-story love triangles, spies sent from fairy tale-land, villains born from literary concepts, wars," she seemed quite giddy to list of the myriad plot-points of the story, "it's so good!"

If Weiss were honest, that seemed an awful lot to pack into a single comic. At the same time though, it did sound... interesting.

"May I read it?" she asked simply.

"Huh?"

"May I read it?" she repeated, her voice snapping a bit more harshly, tinged by frustration at having to repeat her intentions.

"Oh, uuuuuh," Weiss frowned deeper as Ruby trailed off. Were her "Graphic Novels" somehow too good for her? "this is kind of book twenty; I think you'd be a bit lost with it."

"Ah," well. That made more sense, going off the description she'd given before, "may I borrow the first then?"

"Sure!" Ruby set her mug aside before swinging over the edge of her bed, craning down to run her fingers along her bookshelf.

"You could have just told me where to look," Weiss pointed out, finding herself equal parts annoyed and amused by her partner's behavior. And definitely not sparing a glance over her toned stomach as her camisole rose up on her chest.

"Na~h, I got it!" Ruby replied, righting herself with a new book in hand.

"Yes, so you have, very good," Weiss commented with a roll of her eyes. She extended a hand to take the book, "May I?"

Ruby hummed, glancing at Weiss' outstretched hand, then to the book in her own. Back and forth a couple times while Weiss just grew increasingly aggravated by her hesitance, "Y'know, I haven't read volume one in _ages._ "

Weiss felt her brow twitch in annoyance, "What? But you said I could read it!" she quietly snapped.

"Hmm, ho~w abou~t we read it together?" Ruby suggested.

"Excuse me?" Weiss retracted her hand, the annoyance on her face replaced with confused surprise.

"Yeah! Let's read it together, it'll be fun," Ruby insisted, moving away from the edge of her bed. Shuffling further to the opposite side, she patted the spot freed up beside her, "C'mon!"

Weiss' eyes fluttered, taken aback by the offer. She looked back over to her textbooks, waiting for her to come back to resume her studies; not throw her time away on some frivolous reading with her partner. She then found herself looking over her shoulder to Blake and Yang's bunk. Yang was still asleep, one arm dangling off the edge of her bed. When her eyes fell to Blake, the shimmering gold of her animalistic eyes rose from her novel to meet hers for the first time that night. Weiss felt her cheeks heat up, flushing slightly when she saw the Faunus give just the smallest hint of a smirk at her, before returning her attention to her beloved book.

Turning back around in a huff, she found Ruby looking down at her looking around the room, bemused.

"So~?" she drew out the vowel as she continued patting the free spot beside her.

Rolling her eyes again, Weiss grasped the edge of the bed, pulling herself up into the nest of ropes and blankets. Settling into the spot beside Ruby, her attempts to get comfortable were thwarted when her partner closed the small distance between them, cozying up to her side. The warmth she'd felt darkening her cheeks moments ago returned tenfold, and she had to fight the instinct to move away. Not that she really could, as doing so would send her tumbling off the edge of the raised bed, resulting in a nasty fall to the floor. So instead, her first instinct rebounded on her, causing her to lean in just a tiny bit closer to Ruby instead. She didn't notice the blush tinting Ruby's pale cheeks in kind as she felt Weiss press back against her.

"Comfy?" Ruby asked.

"As much as can be expected, I suppose," Weiss replied. It was a bold-faced lie; she couldn't recall having ever been simultaneously comfortable yet utterly perturbed.

Nodding with a happy grin on her face, Ruby wiggled against Weiss' side to get comfortable herself; stopping when she felt her partner stiffen up abruptly. Figuring she shouldn't discomfort the Heiress more, she settled in and lifted the book up between them, turning the cover to the first page.

"I'll leave the page flipping to you, 'kay? I've read it before, so we'll go at your pace."

"Hmph, you think it would take me that long to read a comic?" Weiss asked, glancing to her side to see Ruby glowering at her. "Graphic novel, sorry," she corrected, rolling her eyes all the while.

Satisfied with the amendment, Ruby returned her attention to the first page of the comic, Weiss doing the same. For the first few pages, Weiss simply skimmed over the bubbles which contained the narration and dialogue, barely taking the time to examine the artwork which framed them. She hurriedly flipped through the pages, almost as though trying to prove her point. Her pace did gradually slow however, as she allowed herself to take in more of the artwork. It really was rather well-drawn, she had to admit; admiring the detail on the characters and the world they inhabited, their presence conveying something fantastical despite their apparently mundane surroundings.

And mundane, she was rather surprised to find, was actually somewhat fitting for this first volume. Ruby's initial description had prepared Weiss for some kind of chaotic mish-mash of genres and stories. What they were reading now, however, turned out to be a fairly traditional noir detective tale; a gruff and world-weary private eye attempting to unravel the mystery around the death of a local woman at the behest of her surviving sister. It wasn't long before she found herself properly engrossed in the story; fascinated by the interpretation of beloved public characters, trying to work out the mystery for herself with the clues presented in the pages.

Her immersion was broken sometime in the latter half of the tale, however, when the book in front of her began to waver back and forth; tipping towards and away from her distractingly. Frowning, Weiss focused on the hand weakly clutching the book in front of her, and was reminded that it wasn't her own. She then became distinctly aware of a weight pressing into her side and against her arm, her body freezing as her mind caught up with the situation. Carefully looking to her side, she found Ruby still there, clinging to her side. But where-as previously she remembered Ruby supporting herself, able to see her face as she read her book together with her, now she just saw her two-tone red and black hair as she rested her head against her shoulder.

Weiss honestly wasn't sure how to take this turn. Part of her felt annoyed; at Ruby dropping the book she'd managed to be so enthralled by, for getting so overly comfortable that she'd fallen asleep with her as some kind of pillow. But then part of her didn't mind so much either. Ruby wasn't heavy by any means, and so it wasn't truly uncomfortable by any stretch to have her leaning into her so. She was warm, too; any chill of the rainy night a distant memory with her there. It was getting rather late too, she supposed. Sparing a glance across the room, she saw that Blake had turned in at some point, laying in her bed apparently sleeping.

Well, she could always continue reading down in her own bunk then, and let Ruby sleep in peace. Moving to enact that plan, she quickly hit a roadblock. At some point, without her noticing, Ruby had slipped her free arm around one of hers, and was now clinging to her quite firmly. She could always just pry her arm free and make good her escape, but that would almost certainly wake Ruby up. Weiss didn't savor that thought, for some reason. Why? She can't have been asleep for very long; Ruby wasn't the sort to be upset by a brief interruption to her rest either.

Not even comprehending her own reasoning, Weiss rejected the notion of climbing out of Ruby's bed, resolving to settle in instead. She wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, it seemed. Carefully reaching around Ruby, she pulled her blanket up over the both of them before picking up the book Ruby had dropped. As she did, Ruby stirred, and for a moment she was hopeful (or worried?) that she would wake up. Instead, she just wrapped her other arm around Weiss' too, hugging herself even closer to her partner's side.

Letting out a sigh as she resigned herself to her fate, Weiss reopened the comic, resuming where she'd been when Ruby had nodded off. Yet her attention refused to become as invested in the story as it had before. Now she was fully aware of Ruby cuddled up to her side, hyper aware of her even. Every shift of her body against hers, every curve of her chest pressed to her arm, every whisper of breath against her shoulder. And, startlingly, she didn't want to move. Having Ruby be so close to her, almost intimately so, was dare she say _nice_.

Unable to regain her focus on Ruby's graphic novel, distracted by the girl herself instead, Weiss quickly became aware of herself as well. It was late, and she was quickly growing very tired too. She really should pry herself away from Ruby, climb down into her own bed, and get some sleep. Maybe she'd be able to focus on her studies again in the morning? Or, she could just tip her head to one side, resting it against Ruby's, letting her head nestle comfortably in the crook of her neck as they leaned on one another, and...

Their book again listed back and forth in a loosening grip, finally tumbling free to rest on their laps as Weiss' eyes slid shut.

When she awoke the next morning to find Yang snapping a photo of her and Ruby cuddled up together, Weiss chased her halfway across Beacon's campus; futilely demanding she delete it. Ruby asked her sister to send a copy to her scroll as soon as they made it back. It took Weiss three weeks to work up the nerve to ask her to send a copy of the photo to her own scroll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 4! Hope that people enjoyed this one; was the second that I wrote. One of the shorter ones too, but I'm still happy with it. Weiss always seems to be portrayed as kind of a bookworm, a lot of fanfics making it a point of bonding between her and Blake; I thought it'd be fun to take kind of a different interpretation here.
> 
> Also, can anyone guess what the graphic novel Ruby was reading is? Based the description off a favorite of mine from years ago.


	5. Day 5: Fantasy AU: The Farmer's Daughter and the Wizard's Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When her father takes ill, a young girl resorts to desperate measures in the search for a cure.

_"Beware the Wizard's Tower, for his damned specter haunts its walls."_

So many of the villagers warned their children. A nightly caution, discouraging them from wandering too deep into the woods, especially late at night. Sure, the more realistic concerns of vicious wolves or frostbite could work just fine, but something about a haunted wizard's tower seemed more assured. Or so a good number of parents liked to think. It didn't seem to occur to them that such rumors would only _encourage_ many a child to explore the ostensibly forbidden location. Normally, at least.

After the first few such parties of kids eager to prove their courage to their friends came back in tears, whimpering something about ghosts or evil spirits, subsequent attempts became fewer and farther between. With the children's obedience secured though, the rumors only grew. Soon no one dared think to visit the supposedly abandoned tower; even avoiding the general vicinity of the mountain where it stood, deep in the woods. Unless, of course, they were truly desperate for something they believed only a wizard (or their abandoned storage) could supply.

Such desperation is what drove one young woman deeper into the woods one cold winter's day. Heavy black boots trudged through the thick layers of snow coating the forest floor, advancing towards the mountain. Her worn cloak, red as freshly spilled blood and standing out brilliantly against the crisp white of the snow, billowed heavily in the cold winter wind; a gloved hand clutching at the hood, pulling it tighter around her flushed face. Looking ahead, she could barely see more than a few meters in front of her through the thick snowfall that filled the gusting air. After what seemed like ages, however, she noticed the trees beginning to thin, the wind dying down some as she stepped out into a clearing.

Though her vision was still greatly obscured by the snow, it had lessened enough with her proximity to the mountain that she could make out its shadow looming above her. More importantly, she could see the distinctly man-made shape of a tower, standing out against the cliff-face. Her eyes followed the spire downward, locking onto what she hoped was an entrance at its base. Her journey at an end, she bolted across the clearing to the mountainside tower, hoping for both shelter from the blizzard and, hopefully, what she sought in the first place.

And no ghosts so far! That was a good sign, right?

* * *

 

The howling wind battering against the stone walls stirred her slowly from her slumber, a groan escaping her lips as she rose slowly from the comfort of her bed. Long white hair pooled around her, a stark contrast on the deep red of her bedspread. To most, the air of the room would be considered quite cold; the temperature affected by the storm raging outside, driving them back into the comforting warmth of bed and sleep. Most, but not to her. She barely registered the difference as she threw off her blanket, turning to stand off the side.

The wood flooring felt cool beneath her feet, sending a pleasant chill up her legs as she stepped forward. The air shuddered before her as a wave of her hand summoned a glyph; the magical symbol -resembling a snowflake in pattern- floating in the air before her. Stepping through it, the crisp white nightgown she'd been wearing disappeared, her briefly bare body giving a refreshed shiver. Hardly a split-second later, she was clothed again, now dressed in a trim blue dress with a long white coat overtop; its front left open leaving both the dress and its red lining visible. Her previously untamed hair as well was now drawn up into a neat, long ponytail hanging off the right side of her head; fastened in place with a small, glittering silver crown.

Now appropriately dressed for her day, she stepped out of her bedchamber into the tower's central chamber. To her left, a staircase spiraled upward along the wall; another to her right going down. The rest of the space before her was lined with bookshelves packed to overflowing with tomes of all sizes. She noted, not for the first time, a number of piles growing on the floor which she really must reorganize properly. But no, she had other, more pressing chores to attend to first.

Turning to her right, she descended the staircase to the next level down. Crystalline formations hung from the floor above which acted as the ceiling to the chamber below, illuminating the open space with a calming blue light. The floor below her own chambers acted as a laboratory of sorts, more bookshelves lining the walls; though these were all carefully organized, unlike her private library above. Alongside these were tables covered in all manner of tools, equipment, and a few loose ingredients.

Reaching the landing, she turned to enter another chamber off the central one; a somewhat cramped storeroom, her nose crinkling as she passed through the archway. The space was packed with evenly spaced wooden shelves; each filled with a myriad of ingredients, materials and supplies; the variety blending together to fill the air with the thick musk that assaulted her senses. Taking a tome kept near the entrance, she began to weave her way through the shelves, taking inventory of what there was, what she would need to gather from her gardens, and what she would need to procure from elsewhere.

Finishing with the inventory, she hurriedly left the storeroom, letting out a thankful sigh before sucking in a deep breath of the comparatively fresh air. One of these days, she needed to create some sort of spell or potion to mitigate that awful odour. Putting the thought to the side for the moment, much like with the messy library above, she turned to descend another floor, coming down to a dining and kitchen space. Again she turned into an adjacent chamber, though this time she happily inhaled the mingling scent of her kitchen supplies.

Mid-way into taking inventory of her food stores however, she paused, brow furrowing for some unknown reason. It took a moment, but soon she made out what had distracted her: a faint sound, echoing, standing out against the background noise of the storm battering the walls. Leaving the pantry, she stared across the kitchen to a simple wooden door with a mix of disbelief and curiosity. After a moment's hesitation, she strode to the other side of the floor, opening the door after a moment's hesitation.

The space beyond was large, open, empty, and dark. There was a staircase immediately beyond the door going down into the blackness; a large set of double-doors just barely visible at the bottom of the opposite wall. The sound that she could just barely perceive before echoed loud and clear as she began to slowly wander down the stairs; someone was knocking on the tower doors. It was utterly bizarre to her. Normally people looking to enter her home picked the locks or just smashed the door in; she'd grown rather annoyed at the frequency with which she'd had to repair the vestibule. Knocking though? Unheard of.

She was never one for guests, but the unorthodoxy of this situation drew her interest regardless. Who was actually being courteous enough to knock at her door like a decent human being? The curiosity pushed her down to the bottom of the stairs and across the floor to stand before the doorway. She had hesitated to cross her kitchen to the upper door. Hesitated to open it and come down into this dark chamber. And again, she hesitated to open the great doors standing before her. Yet she had come down this far, it would feel silly to just ignore the (she now realized) rather incessant knocking.

She wasn't sure what she might have expected when she removed the locks, wincing at the icy gust that washed over her as she pulled the door inward. A lone figure dressed in a long red cloak billowing fiercely in the wind, however, certainly wouldn't have been far up the list.

"Oh! There actually is someone here!"

The figure's voice could scarcely be heard over the howling wind, but it was enough to snap her out of her initial surprise. Moving out of the way, she gestured for them to enter, quickly pushing the door shut with a bang when she saw a flash of red dart by. After the loud bang of the door slamming shut, the silence that dominated the chamber felt absolutely suffocating with the howling of the wind now muffled in the background.

"Umm... you're uh... you're not a ghost, right?"

Her attention was again drawn to the unexpected visitor; whom she could now recognize as female, her voice no longer muted by the wind.

"What? No, of course I'm not a ghost," she snapped in response, her harsh tone echoing through the empty, dark foyer, "why would you even think such a thing?"

"Well you're kind of... really pale," she answered. It was difficult to make out in the dark; most of her clothes besides the cloak apparently being black, but she appeared to be gesturing to her. "White hair, skin, outfit. Real ghost-y. Can't blame me for assuming, with what everyone says about this place. Not to mention it's so dark, you're practically glowing."

"I tend not to pay attention to rumors about my residence," she shot back. Still, she did have a point about her appearance standing out in the dark.

A small glyph glimmered to life at her fingertips as she gestured over her shoulder. In response, torches flared to life around the chamber, filling the once dark space with warm light. It had actually been ages since she'd bothered to come down here at all, and she found herself looking around, reacquainting herself with the foyer. Truthfully there was little to the room besides the towering double-doors and the staircase leading up to the small door which accessed the rest of the tower. An artistic relief of arcane patterns decorated the ceiling, while four red banners embroidered with a white snowflake pattern hung high around the walls.

"Oh wow, that's much better!"

Her attention was again drawn back to her... guest, watching as she pulled the hood of her cloak down, revealing a head of short, somewhat messy black hair. She looked young, a few years younger than her hostess at least; plump cheeks flush from the cold she'd just stepped out of. She was looking around the illuminated antechamber with awe in her eyes; their colour a bit hard to discern in the flickering torchlight, but they almost appeared like a metallic silver, reflecting the light perfectly.

"Can I... help you, with something?" she finally asked, drawing her attention.

"Oh! Right, right, of course. Are you the wizard everyone talks about? I mean, you live here, and this is definitely supposed to be a wizard's tower, but I wouldn't want to assu-"

"I prefer Sorceress," she snapped, cutting off the girl's rambling.

"That sounds better, actually! More fitting! So, Sorceress-"

"Weiss."

"Huh?"

"Sorceress is what I'd classify myself as, but my name is Weiss. If you must call me something, call me that," she explained.

"Oh! Well, nice to meet you Weiss, I'm Ruby!" the girl declared, offering her hand out with a cheerful grin on her face.

Weiss' pale blue eyes regarded the proffered hand silently, making no move to take it before her gaze returned to her guest's face.

"Surely you didn't come all this way simply to introduce yourself."

"R-Right," Ruby shrank back, awkwardly rescinding her hand, letting it drop to her side.

"So? Why are you here?"

"R-Right!" she gave a little jump at the question, inwardly berating herself for meandering so.

Perhaps Weiss' tone had been a tad harsh, but she found herself increasingly annoyed by the girl's behavior. Contrary to her words, she was at least aware of the rumors regarding her tower home, and why people avoided it. So to have someone appear and behave so casual was... strange. Very strange indeed.

"I was actually hoping that you could help me," she told her, sounding a bit nervous.

"Help you?" Weiss questioned, the ice still sharp in her tone. Of course no one would simply come to visit her, she didn't think most people were even aware she lived here. But help? What help could someone want of her? Usually all she got were kids testing their courage, or the occasional treasure hunter seeking a non-existent wizard's trove.

"Yes! My father recently took terribly ill, you see. My sister and I have tried everything, consulted every doctor, priest, herbalist and apothecary we could find, but none have been able to heal him," she explained, her tone and gesturing growing increasingly frantic as she went on. "We were starting to lose hope when my uncle mentioned the wizard who was supposed to live in this tower, and how he used to be famous for his healing magics! My sister thought it was a fool's errand, but I couldn't leave any stone unturned!"

Weiss' eyes fluttered as she listened to the girl's rambling explanation, nodding along slowly as she comprehended her dilemma.

"I see. Truth be told, I'm rather surprised; the wizard spoken of was, in truth, my grandfather. He passed away some time ago, and I'd thought that memories of his healing practice had faded in favor of ridiculous rumors about his ghost," she said, a rather fond smile growing on her lips. "Your uncle must be a wise fellow to have kept such knowledge."

Ruby flinched back, averting her eyes nervously, shrinking inward as she tapped her index fingers together. "Well actually he's... kind of... that is, most would regard him as the town... uh... drunk."

Weiss' smile was instantly wiped from her face to be replaced with a disappointed, perhaps even disgusted, grimace.

"Of course he is," she said, letting out a sigh as she turned and began to advance up the stairs. She was almost to the door when she stopped, turning to see that Ruby was still standing at the bottom of the steps, looking up at her uncertainly. "Well? Are you coming?!" she barked, turning to ascend the last of the steps.

"Eep! Y-Yes!" Ruby said with a start, rushing to follow Weiss up into the tower.

* * *

 

She didn't know what she was expecting the inside of a Wizard's -or Sorceress', she supposed?- Tower to be like. The exterior certainly cast an intimidating presence in the snowy shadow of the mountain. The big double-doors at its base too, seemed fitting. As did the large, open foyer beyond them. So it came as a surprise then, that when brought through a door at the top of the lone staircase leading deeper into the structure, what lay beyond was a rather quaint little kitchen.

To her left, countertops and cabinets ran along the curved wall, along with a washbasin and stove; a pile of chopped wood sat neatly piled by the door. To the right was a small table with just two chairs, an unlit fireplace just beyond holding a large pot. She could see an archway across from where she'd come in that looked to hold a pantry, the stairway beside it leading further upward into the tower.

After familiarizing herself with her immediate surroundings, Ruby's eyes returned to her hostess, finding her in front of the stove; a chunk of wood in one hand as the other rooted through a cabinet.

"What'cha doin'?" she asked curiously, her boots clunking noisily against the wooden floor as she stepped closer.

"Getting something to warm you up; it's freezing out there," Weiss answered, not bothering to even look over as she pulled a couple of bowls and mugs out of the cabinet.

Setting them down on the stove, she bent down to open it, tossing the log she'd held inside. Ruby noticed another brief flash of white at her fingertips, eyes going wide as a flame sparked to life, beginning to consume the wood.

"That's incredible!" she exclaimed in awe.

Weiss glanced up at her, expression unreadable as she shut the door, before moving to stand up. "I... suppose. I'm simply quite used to i-"

Ruby blinked in confusion when she paused, noticing the Sorceress' expression turning dour as she looked her over.

"Erm...?"

"You're tracking snow in."

Blinking again, Ruby glanced behind her, noticing the trail of watery footprints left by her snow-caked boots; the melt yet clinging to them slowly forming a puddle around where she stood.

"S-Sorry about that?"

"Honestly, how rude," Weiss said simply, waving a hand in front of her.

Ruby flinched back as a glyph the size of her body flashed to life, arms raising defensively as she let out an involuntary little shriek when it passed over her. When nothing happened after a moment, she opened her eyes, lowering her arms while looking over herself confusedly. She found that, in fact, something had happened. All of the snow that had been clinging (and melting) onto her had disappeared, like it had never even been there. Glancing behind her, she could see her watery trail had vanished as well.

Letting out a sigh (and looking not even slightly amused by her behavior), Weiss strode past Ruby, grabbing another log from the pile, walking to toss it into the fireplace. Another flick of her wrist, and it too came alight with a roaring flame; the stove and fireplace together quickly filling the room with a comfortable warmth.

"Take your boots off, warm yourself by the fire," she instructed, grabbing the mugs from the stove before disappearing into the pantry, leaving Ruby alone.

Nodding numbly (and at no one in particular seeing as she was now alone), Ruby did as she was instructed. Unlacing and stepping out of her magically-dried boots, she set them off by the pile of wood, walking over to take a seat in front of the fireplace, letting the warmth of the fire wash over her. Pulling off her gloves, she tossed them up onto the small table, presenting her bare hands to be warmed. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched Weiss come back out of the pantry, setting the mugs back on the stove before disappearing again. When next she came out, it was with an armful of vegetables, herbs, a block of cheese, and a package of some kind of meat. Her attention was drawn back to the fire as the Sorceress walked over to her, noticing one of her magical white glyphs appearing above the cauldron

"Makin' a witches brew?" Ruby asked jokingly as she watched Weiss toss the gathered ingredients into the pot; letting out an awed "wow" as she watched them be sliced apart neatly as they fell through the glyph.

Weiss looked down at her, eyes narrowed and mouth a downcast scowl at her question, "I'm making _you_ a stew. And don't call me a witch," she told her, sounding genuinely offended by the term.

"Sorry," she apologized hurriedly, turning her attention back to the fire as she warmed herself. Slowly she turned back to the white-clad Sorceress though, curious about something, "Don't you need uh... water, for a stew?"

The only answer she received was an odd humming sound drawing her gaze to the glyph over the cauldron. Her eyes widened again as she watched its interwoven patterns spinning opposite each other; a spout of water gushing forth into the waiting pot when the spinning halted.

"Your magic's incredible," she said, voice hush with awe.

Ruby couldn't see it, but a small smile pulled at Weiss' lips, seeing the stranger so entranced by the simple spells. Turning back around after waiting a few moments, she retrieved the mugs from the stove, satisfied they'd been warmed enough. Returning to the fireplace, she held one out for Ruby; grunting in annoyance to gain her attention after she failed to notice her for a few seconds.

"Thank you," she said, taking it gratefully. Holding the drink in front of her, she inhaled the sweet scent of honey wafting off of it, before taking a drink. She must have chugged half the mug in one go, before finally lowering it from her lips with a satisfied gasp; delighting in the warmth the drink brought to her chilled body.

"Come," Weiss called, garnering Ruby's attention again as she sat at the table, "we should discuss your father."  Nodding her head, Ruby stood up, taking the seat opposite Weiss when she motioned to it, "Now, tell me about his symptoms."

At her request, Ruby went into great detail describing her father's illness. The basic symptoms, how he behaved on some better days, or how bad some of the worse days could get, and how long he'd been afflicted. Midway into their discussion, she began to notice the delicious scent of the stew filling the air; watching as Weiss gestured at the pot, conjuring one of her glyphs. Peeking over her shoulder, Ruby couldn't help but be filled with a downright childish glee at the simple sight of a ladle stirring the pot on its own.

When she seemed satisfied with all that Ruby had told her, Weiss moved to stand up, "I believe that I should be able to help your father," she told her, giving the girl a comforting smile. Or her best attempt at one, anyway.

"Really?!" Ruby shot up, slamming her hands on the table as she leaned over it. The small size of the table left her face quickly scant inches away from Weiss', making the pale Sorceress stagger back in surprise, "That's wonderful! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Perhaps it was the close proximity, or how she suddenly grabbed her hand as she shouted her thanks, but something brought an involuntary tinge of pink to Weiss' pale cheeks.

"It... it's no matter, I assure you," she stated, averting her eyes from her grateful... client? Eyes which, in the clearer light of her kitchen, she could now tell were indeed a brilliant silver. And that her black hair had a curious crimson undercurrent to it. Both quite unique traits, she thought. Stepping away from the table with a cough, she pried her hand from her grasp, retrieving and passing her a bowl and spoon that had been left sitting on the countertop, "Please, help yourself to the stew. I'll prepare an elixir you can take to your father."

Ruby nodded her head vigorously, a beaming smile stretching across her face, "You don't know how much this means to me! To my family!"

"Yes, yes, just... don't wander about, alright? Just wait down here while I craft the elixir, okay?" Weiss told her, already making her way up the stairs. She waited until she received another nod from her client before disappearing above.

True to her word, Ruby waited down below while the Sorceress worked. At first. She checked on the stew, breaking the spell on the ladle when she felt it finished. By the time she finished her third bowl of the hearty meal however, she had begun to feel rather restless. For a few minutes she entertained herself by wandering back down into the foyer, but with nothing but torches, banners, and a ceiling she couldn't quite appreciate the artistry of, that distraction was short-lived. Next then came the kitchen; a few cabinets with bowls, pots, mugs and tableware, nothing very interesting.

The pantry then proved to be more intriguing. Besides the wide, downright exotic, variety of ingredients which the Sorceress had stocked, Ruby found that she even had her meats and kegs stored in a large ice box towards the back! She'd scarcely heard of such a thing down in the village; a rare luxury for those who could manage them, difficult to properly stock, and largely seen as impractical. Was it a convenience of her mountain home, or yet another benefit of her magic? Both, perhaps?

Still, a frigid container to preserve meat and drink, luxurious though it was, wasn't terribly interesting to observe once she'd gotten a good look at it. So, that just left the staircase leading further up into the tower. Ruby rocked on the balls of her feet at the base of the steps, gazing up at the floor above. A little peek couldn't hurt, surely? Convincing herself that no, it certainly could not, she began to gently -and more importantly, quietly- pad her way upstairs.

Looking out over the landing as her head crested the level of the floor, she spotted Weiss standing at a table; luckily looking away from the stairs. She appeared to be hard at work; chopping, slicing, burning and blending all manner of rather strange looking ingredients and materials, mixing oddly-coloured concoctions together in glass bottles, making sure resultant puffs of smoke erupted away from her. Ruby briefly took a moment to watch the Sorceress work, admiring the dexterity with which she handled her materials, and the magic she included in her work. A vial would rest in one of her glyphs, a flame beneath it bringing the mixture to a boil before she poured it into a mortar containing a strange crystal which another glyph crushed with the pestle; all while she herself deftly cut some form of root to bits.

Deciding it best not to linger too long on the same floor as the Sorceress (who would most likely not take kindly to her wandering about against her word), Ruby snuck her way over to the stairs leading further up. Keeping a watch on Weiss as she worked to make sure she wasn't noticed, she didn't relax until the white-haired woman was out of sight. Arriving up on the third floor, she looked around at the messy library that greeted her.

"Wow, never seen this many books before," she whispered to herself, picking a random tome up off a stack on the floor. Flipping it open, she stared at the page for a moment before snapping it shut, "I can't read this."

And so it was the next book she picked up. And the one after that. Whatever strange symbols and arcane drawings were sketched onto the paper, she had no idea how to interpret them. The fourth book she was excited to find written in characters she recognized! But hardly any of the words they spelled out were familiar to her. The fifth book, at last, was written almost entirely in language which she was able to read. That still didn't help her in the slightest to understand what it was talking about; every sentence describing the particular temperature at which to boil a certain root to distill a useful essence used in some potion or another flying right over her head.

The library then, was decidedly not for her. Returning to the stairs, she looked through the archway between them, discovering what must have been Weiss' bedchamber. It was large; far larger than the room she shared with her sister back home, and also much emptier. While her bedroom was packed wall-to-wall with both her and her sister's beds and possessions, the Sorceress' was devoid of much at all beyond a bed and an extravagant wardrobe. All the empty space felt lavish, but also cold. One oddity she noted though was how while the wardrobe was painted a chilly blue-white, matching well with the stonework of the tower, the bed was covered by a marvelous red blanket. The curious splash of colour reminded Ruby of her own cloak; the only other such decor she could recall being the banners down in the foyer.

Frowning as she thought over the blanket and tapestries and how they stood out against everything else she'd seen thus far in the tower, she left the bedroom behind, continuing up the stairs. An odd sensation washed over her as she ascended to the next floor; feeling like she was stepping outside. Drawn from her thoughts, Ruby looked around as she reached the landing, eyes widening at the space before her. The chamber was ringed by large stone tablets marked with strange, glowing runes; the source of the odd feeling to the air? She couldn't be sure. The truly incredible thing was what lay in the middle of the stones however.

Several stone terraces were set nestled against one another within the circle, each one housing a small garden. What was incredible about them was how wildly different each garden was. One looked perfectly normal to her, holding a variety of herbs, fruits and vegetables she was familiar with. Yet next to it was what appeared to be a miniature beach growing corals, seaweed and seaside vegetation. Leaning into that particular ring, she could smell the salt and surf of the sea! Beyond the one she called normal, and the seaside garden, another looked like a rougher, mountainous patch hosting hardier stock. The last two though held strange plants that looked totally alien to her. Oversized, glowing fungi, vines that seemed to be burning naturally, fruits that seemed to pulse bizarrely with life.

And yet, as incredible as these magical gardens were, it was still the "Normal" patch which drew her attention most. More specifically, a particular bush dotted with small spots of red. She honed in on the bush almost instantly, licking her lips as she knelt in the soil, gingerly reaching out to lift up a few red-dotted sprigs. Strawberries, her absolute favorite! It had been months since she'd had any, the harsh winter making it impossible to grow them. Yet here, in this wonderful, magical place, here they were! The amazing Sorceress who had grown them surely wouldn't miss just a few, right?

Carefully pulling a few of the fruit off their vines, Ruby popped one in her mouth, cooing in delight as the sweet taste soaked into her tongue. She'd barely finished swallowing the first fruit before she pushed another past her lips. And soon another. And another. And another. And another. One more surely couldn't hurt. And one more. And one mo-

"Ahem."

Ruby froze in place, slowly turning to look over at the stairs. Wide silver eyes met narrowed pale blue, Weiss glaring right at her, arms crossed over her chest, fingers rapping against her arm as her foot tapped the floor.

"Tell me, what part of 'don't wander about, just wait down here', did you not understand?" she snapped, annoyance clear in her voice.

"Well, see, I did!" Weiss hardly looked convinced, "I did! For a while... but after I had a few bowls of that stew -which was great by the way, thanks a lot for ma-"

"Stop. Just... just stop," Weiss ordered her, raising a hand to cut off her rambling, "I don't particularly care if you enjoyed the stew, or why you chose to ignore my wishes." Her hand shifted, gesturing for her to come over to her, "Just get out of my garden so I can give you your elixir and you can be on your way."

"You're still letting me have it?" Ruby sounded genuinely surprised, given how angered the Sorceress seemed.

"Of course," she scoffed in response, smiling a bit wryly, "I may be upset at you wandering about my home against my wishes, but I'm not heartless. Now, come along."

Nodding, Ruby stood up as Weiss turned to go down the stairs, moving to follow her. The Sorceress stopped mid-step however, eyes widening as she watched Ruby step over one of the more alien biomes.

"Wait, Ruby, stop!" she shouted, turning and reaching out to her.

The warning came too late, however, as Ruby's foot landed on what looked like a strange flower with four fat, oversized petals; she'd actually mistaken it for a decorative stepping stone. As soon as her foot pressed down on the flower's yellow center though, those large petals snapped up, wrapping around her leg, causing her to flail about as she was trapped in place.

"Uuuuh, Weiss? W-What is this thi-"

"You complete idiot!" Ruby winced as Weiss cut her off harshly, "That's a bladed corpse flower. Whatever you do, don't move while I get you ou-"

"Bladed corpse?!" Ruby didn't know what the plant was, but she knew that name didn't sound good in the slightest. Growing panicked, she began to grasp at the petals, trying to pull them away from her leg, struggling and twisting to try and free it.

"No you idiot!" Weiss yelled at her desperately, rushing over to try and stop her.

Too late again, however. Ruby's struggles soon stopped, pulling her hands away from the petals with a wince, she found them covered in small, bloodied cuts. Silver eyes next drifted to the cause; numerous large, blade-like thorns now jutting out of the petals that had cut her hands as she tried to push them away. Her gaze drifted lower still, seeing more thorns jutting out of all the petals, digging into her leg, trapping her in place even more thoroughly. She wanted to scream. From the pain of the thorns stabbing her leg. From the sensation of her blood flowing down to the flower. From the strange, unpleasant tingling she felt on her foot. But as her mouth gaped, no sound came out. It was all too much, put together. She could faintly hear Weiss' voice cursing in the background; the last thing she saw was one of the Sorceress' white glyphs spiralling to life around the bottom of the demonic flower before her vision faded to black.

The scream that had died in her throat erupted freely as she bolted upright in bed, panting heavily, heart pounding in her chest. As her throbbing pulse calmed, her breathing evening out, she realized a number of things. The first being that she was no longer standing in a garden trapped by a killer plant, but was now sitting up in a bed. Weiss' bed, that was the next fact that clicked; recognizing the deep red blanket covering her. Then came the realization that, despite her belated scream, her leg didn't hurt as her last conscious thoughts recalled.

Throwing the blanket off, she exposed her bare legs; her right bound tightly in bandages. Surprisingly clean-looking bandages at that. Looking at her wrapped leg in disbelief, she reached down, gingerly running her hands along her leg. There was a bit of pain, but it was only a mild soreness, rather than the searing sensation of dozens of cuts she'd been expecting. Had her mind exaggerated the direness of her situation before she'd fainted? That was an embarrassing prospect, if so.

"Finally up, I see."

Letting out a small, surprised gasp, Ruby looked over to see Weiss standing in the entryway, a steaming bowl of stew held in each of her hands. The Sorceress looked a bit worse the wear than Ruby last recalled seeing her; hair in tangles and eyes bloodshot with exhaustion. Walking over, the white-haired woman offered one of the bowls out to the girl in her bed. She was actually a bit surprised that she was feeling hungry again; how long had she been asleep?

"Thanks," Ruby murmured, reaching out to take the bowl. As she did, her eyes lingered just behind Weiss, spotting her cloak hung up on the open wardrobe. It was then that she had another epiphany; not only was her cloak off, but so too was the hose she had been wearing on her legs. Her legs which were now entirely bare before her host and presumed savior.

"Bit late for modesty, don't you think?" Weiss questioned with a dry chuckle as Ruby flushed, hurriedly covering her legs back up with the blanket.

"D-Did you...?" Ruby's voice shook a bit with embarrassment as she took a spoonful of the stew she'd been brought.

"Take them off? Yes. I had to tend to your wounds, obviously," the Sorceress answered simply before eating a mouthful from her own bowl.

"Of-Of course," Ruby fully recognized the necessity of the action, yet found herself flustered in spite of herself. Why though? Even still, Weiss was a woman the same as her.

"I'm not sure if you'd figured this out as well, but they were obviously torn apart by the thorns, so I mended them for you," she added.

Maybe it was her continuous generosity despite her cold, stand-offish mannerisms that had something to do with it.

"Th-thank you, Weiss. You didn't have to do that," Ruby told her.

"Of course I did," she scoffed in response, "Were you planning to trek home in this horrid weather with nothing to cover your legs? I didn't prevent you from bleeding to death just to have you lose life and limb to frostbite."

"Sorry," Ruby apologized for her own foolishness, focusing on her stew for the moment to avoid saying anything else that she'd regret. She did regardless though, unable to bear the silence of her and Weiss sipping at their bowls for more than a few moments, "So... what happened?"

"What happened is that after you fainted, I had to kill my _extremely rare_ bladed corpse flower to stop it from digesting you!" Ruby shuddered at the implication that the twisted plant had been in the process of actually _eating_ her; that explained the odd sensation at her foot before she'd blacked out, "Once it was dead, I then had to very carefully pry the petals from your leg so that the thorns didn't slice it to ribbons; keeping you from bleeding to death all the while."

The tone of voice the Sorceress spoke with was thick with annoyance. As though Ruby almost dying was nothing more than an inconvenience for her. Which, given she was practically a stranger who'd gotten herself into this mess by gallivanting about her home against her wishes, she most assuredly was. Still, Ruby couldn't help but feel indignant at the thought that Weiss may be more upset over her killer plant.

Whatever she was going to say to that effect died in her throat though, when she looked up at Weiss' eyes, "Are... are you crying?"

"What of it?" she snapped in response, a hand coming up to rub at her damp, reddened eyes, wiping away fresh tears.

"Well I just mean... why?"

"What do you mean 'why'? You almost died!"

"Don't... don't mistake me, I'm beyond grateful that you saved me, but... I'm little more than a stranger to you; why cry over me?"

"Because it was terrifying!" Weiss practically screamed at her, the shrill pitch her voice hit making Ruby jump back a little, startled. "All of that blood, all the cuts, worrying I'd just make things worse as I removed them... I was terrified that you might die; that _I_ might have killed you..."

"Well it... was basically my own fault. Like you said, I shouldn't have been wandering."

"That's... it's fine," she said, letting out a deep, tired sigh, "I should have told you about some of the potential dangers the tower held."

They sat quietly for a time, neither speaking up, nor doing anything much beyond just staring into their bowls in thought.

"I'm sorry, for causing you such trouble," Ruby said, not looking up from her bowl as she broke the silence.

"Don't be. I'm... honestly, I'm just glad that you're okay," Weiss replied.

"At least I'll be leaving soon; won't be able to cause you more problems?" Ruby offered, looking up with a half-hearted, tired smile. She met Weiss' pale blue eyes, finding her looking back at her confused.

"What are you talking about? You're not going anywhere."

"E-Eh?"

"You're not going anywhere," Weiss repeated herself.

"W-What do you mean...?" Ruby asked, shuffling further away from the Sorceress on the bed; she just looked on, still confused.

"You've been asleep for hours; it's long past dark already. If you tried to return home now, you'd surely become lost, die from exposure, be devoured by wolves. You'd best wait until morning to depart," she clarified.

"O-Oh, right, yes, of course!" Ruby laughed nervously, relaxing.

"What did you think I meant?"

"I don't know... that you were going to keep me here as payment for healing me and making my father that elixir?" she answered with another bout of nervous laughter.

Weiss blinked, sitting silently for a moment. Ruby was beginning to grow a bit worried, leaning in to check on her, before flinching back in surprise when Weiss threw her head back, laughing heartily.

"Oh! Oh my-! Oh that is just-!"

Ruby simply stared at her, her at first shocked expression slowly regressing to a frown as the Sorceress continued to laugh, "Are you about done?"

"That is simply the most," she sucked in a breath, at last calming her laughter, "the most absurd thing I've ever heard. What purpose would keeping you here serve?"

"I... I don't know! You're the Sorceress, you could use me as slave labour, or test spells on me, or sacrifice my soul, I don't know!"

Weiss rolled her eyes at the possibilities which Ruby suggested. Ridiculous, the lot of them. However, a devilish smirk grew on her lips as she leaned over the bed closer to the injured girl. No reason she couldn't have a bit of fun after running herself ragged fixing her up.

"Hmm, sacrifice your soul, was it?" Ruby tensed up at her words; her indignant pout vanishing to be replaced by worry and fear as she again shrank away from Weiss, "Yes, yes I do believe your soul might make for an excellent spell. Offered up, broken down, and used to fuel my craft!"

Ruby let out a little shriek at the declaration, slumping forward when Weiss continued, "I'm merely jesting."

"Not funny," she said with a pout.

"No? I must disagree," Weiss countered with a small chuckle. Moving to stand up, she reached out to take Ruby's bowl, turning towards the exit, "Now, it's late. You should get back to sleep. Rest up so you're ready to return home in the morning."

Ruby nodded her head, shifting to again get comfortable in the bed, when something occurred to her, "Weiss, isn't this your bed?"

"Yes?" Weiss questioned, turning to look back at her from the entryway.

"So where are you going to sleep?"

"I'll... I'll make do," she replied vaguely.

Ruby frowned at that, moving to sit up again, "'Make do'? That's no good! This is your bed, you should use it!"

"And where would you sleep then?" Weiss shot back.

"We can share!" Ruby answered without an ounce of hesitation.

Weiss blinked, taken off-guard by the suggestion, her pale cheeks flushing a surprisingly dark red, "That's... really not necessary, I assure you."

"I assure you, it is!" Ruby declared, pointing at her, "You're exhausted."

"I'm fine."

"No one who actually is ever says that," Ruby insisted, "Please? I've caused you enough distress as it is, I don't want to deprive you of a night's sleep on top of everything. I can take that chair in your library, if that works better?"

"No!" Weiss said, perhaps a bit too quickly, surprising Ruby, "No, you... you need your rest, proper rest, and... fine, alright? We'll share."

"Alright!" Ruby threw her arms in the air, victorious.

Sighing, Weiss took her leave, depositing the used bowls in the washbasin downstairs. When she returned to the bedroom, she found Ruby had shuffled over to one side of the bed, giving her plenty of room for herself. It was, admittedly, a rather large bed, especially for only one person; it could hold two easily. Or three. Four. Five might begin to feel the slightest bit crowded.

Ruby, thus, had no issue whatsoever with sharing. She'd had to share far smaller quarters with her sister in the past, why should this be any different? Weiss, however, had never shared a bed with anyone, larger or small, family or not. So, despite the bed's enormous size, she was keenly aware of something feeling _different_ as she climbed under the blanket with her guest.

"So um, what do you do about light?" Ruby asked, gesturing up to the crystalline chandelier hanging over the bedchamber. She wasn't used to sleeping in such a well-lit room, and honestly couldn't imagine anyone doing so.

"Oh, of course," Weiss mumbled, raising her arm towards the crystals.

Ruby looked on, transfixed as a small glyph appeared around Weiss' fingers, the pattern spinning at her fingertips. Above them, larger but otherwise identical rings began to swirl around the crystals. As they did, the light the crystals emitted gradually dimmed, until the room was comfortably dark.

"Amazing," Ruby muttered in a hush awe, "magic is really amazing..."

Unseen in the dark, Weiss smiled softly, again pleased by how charmed Ruby seemed to be by the simple spellwork.

"G'night Weiss!" she chirped, yawning as she rolled over and pulled the blanket over herself.

"Yes, good... good night to you too, Ruby," Weiss replied, shifting to try and get comfortable.

Weiss had never shared a bed with anyone before. Her nights had always been spent alone. It was a strange new experience. Despite the plentiful distance between them, she could perceive every shift and movement Ruby made on the mattress. She could feel the heat her body gave off warming the space under the blanket in a way incomparable to her alone. She could hear the faint sounds of her breathing evening out as slumber took hold of her again. She struggled, for a time, to drift off herself, exhausted though she was. Too focused on the differences caused by this arrangement.

And yet, despite the distraction, she found she didn't mind any of these things in the slightest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I got kind of carried away with this one. It was the first prompt I completed, and also the longest by a good portion. Hopefully people liked the read? Please, let me know what you thought!


	6. Day 6: Kids: Fen and Koralle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Weiss' daughters have been nigh-inseparable since their youngest was born. Until, that is, it's time for their eldest to attend the new Beacon Academy.

"Doin' alright back there sis?"

"Mmm..."

"Well, just keep hangin' on. We'll be home 'fore y'know it!"

"Mmm..."

Her sister's back was warm, her hands gripping tighter to her shoulders as she nestled closer to her. Feeling the hands squeezing her shoulders, she adjusted her arms held behind her, acting as support for the piggyback. Her sister was feather-light, and tired though she was, each step came as easily as the last as she trudged down the well-worn path; the way lit warmly by the fading sunset.

"And remember, don't ever listen to what brats like that say!"

"Mmm..." she was so tired, her eyes refusing to stay open as she rested her head against her sister's neck.

"Becau~se?"

"'cause big sis..." she was interrupted by a yawn, "has my back..."

"Exactly!"

She felt herself smiling, arms reaching forward to wrap around her sister's neck. She stopped trying to force her eyes open, letting them relax along with the rest of her body as she was carried along. She could rest, because her sister would always keep her safe.

* * *

 

"I'm not _always_ going to be able to be there, y'know?"

"Don't say that," she muttered, a pout gracing her lips as she hefted up a pitch-black greatsword, easily larger than its wielder, with only minimal difficulty, "Didn't you always used to say 'big sis has your back'?"

"Well, yeah... and I do! I definitely do!" she defended, running a hand through her short white hair. She played with some of the pink locks that undercut the white, before pointing at her sister with a dramatic flourish, "But as much as I'd like to _always_ be there, sometimes I won't be!"

"Maybe if I were good enough to get into school early with you..." her glasses slid down her nose as she looked down at the ground sullenly.

"Hey, c'mon, don't do that to yourself," her sister walked up to her, planting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "You're not mom, after all," she told her with a grin.

"Yeah, I know," she replied with a decidedly more half-hearted smile, barely able to raise her gaze to meet her sister's.

"You know I didn't mean it like that!" she admonished, her hand moving to gently flick her forehead, "You're incredible; not everyone gets the opportunity to jump years ahead. You shouldn't get down on yourself 'cause mom got lucky."

"Who got lucky now?"

The two girls jumped back, gasping in surprise at the sudden appearance of a black-haired woman dressed in red and black; a short gust of wind and a few fluttering rose petals the only indicators of her instantly appearing beside them.

"Mom! Why do you always do that?!"

"Sorry~" Ruby answered with a giggle, her long red cloak still fluttering a bit behind her, "Just wanted to come and check that you're all packed for Beacon?"

"Y-Yeah, I am. Kora and I were just having a chat and a spar."

"A~nd? Who won?" Ruby asked chipperly, rocking on the heels of her knee-high boots.

"Fen, duh," Koralle answered, dejectedly.

"Hey! Don't sound like that; I _barely_ had you that time," Fen leapt to defend her sister from... herself.

"Alright, alright. Fen, why don't you head inside? Your mother said she wanted to talk with you about something."

"Kay," Fen nodded, beginning to head back towards their home. She stopped, quickly dashing back to give her sister a hug, before resuming her jog back inside.

"What, no hug for me?!" Ruby shouted after her, indignity blending with amusement in her voice. Watching her eldest simply wave back to her, she turned to the younger sibling, smiling at her warmly, "Doing alright?"

"Yeah," Koralle nodded, though her eyes remained downcast, avoiding her mother's gaze. Rather than press the issue, Ruby simply waited patiently, until silver rose to meet silver, "Hey, mom?"

"Yes?"

"How did... I mean, what was it..." she trailed off, mulling over her words. As she let out a sigh, her greatsword began to split apart; the edge turning to a multitude of smaller blades which floated to latch around the skirt of her simple black dress. The revealed center of her weapon more closely resembled a broadsword that she comfortably sheathed at her side, "Do you ever regret, getting accepted to Beacon early?"

"Nope," Ruby chirped instantly.

"Right... 'course not..."

"It worked out for the best for me. I got swept up in the whole Fall, learned about my destiny, dove straight into the battle against the forces of evil!" Ruby described, punching out at the air boisterously, "If I hadn't been, I'd have never met your mother either, and you wouldn't be here!" she lowered her hand, poking her daughter's nose teasingly, "And I even got to be on a team with Yang! Whi~ch is the only point you actually care about, mmm?"

Koralle blushed faintly, again averting her eyes at how easily her mother read her. Not that it was very hard; she'd been even more withdrawn than usual ever since news of Fen's acceptance had arrived, "...I'm just gonna miss her... what if I miss out on-on... on everything you talked about!"

"Well, I'm pretty sure that there aren't any criminals subservient to the master of all Grimm waiting to infiltrate and sabotage the school _again_. And really, no parent wants to think about their little girl having any sort of romance," she teased, reaching out a hand to ruffle her daughter's short, vibrant pink hair; careful to avoid disturbing the black rose she wore as a decoration, "And just because you and Fen won't be teamed up at Beacon, doesn't mean you never will be."

"But... but..." Koralle whimpered, wiggling around, trying to escape the hand rubbing her head.

"But?" Ruby repeated, granting her desire by retracting her hand.

"...what if she doesn't want to be my big sister after?" she all but whimpered the question, tears in her eyes.

Ruby blinked, staring at her for a moment. A long, quiet, tense moment. The silence stretched on, before finally being broken by the sound of her laughter. She threw her head back, laughing long and hard; her voice echoing out into the cooling night air with no sign of stopping.

"M-Mom!" Koralle shouted, utterly aghast at the reaction to her emotional plea.

"Ah-ahah-ahaha... s-sorry..." Ruby gasped out, keeling forward slightly as she fought to calm her laughter, "But that is just the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life!"

Her daughter frowned, not seeming to find the humor in it, "Not to me..."

"I mean, do you know what Yang would do if she heard that Fen had, I dunno, de-sistered you?"

"...probably chase her down and lecture her until her ears fell off. Or beat her up. Or both," Koralle guessed, managing a small smile.

"Right! Nothing's more serious to Yang than sister-duties! Oh, maybe mom-duties, actually. Momming first, then sistering!" Ruby concluded, nodding firmly, smiling when she noticed Koralle's widening, "And you know that's something she drilled into Fen years ago, right?"

Koralle's growing smile dropped a bit at that, her eyes going downcast again as she gave a small nod, "Yeah."

"And you know she only wants you to be able to look after yourself because, unlike me, there's a period of time between her finding out you're in trouble and her being able to blast her way to you, right?"

Another small nod, "I'm gonna miss her though..." she said, sniffling quietly.

She felt her mother's arms wrap around her comfortingly, a hand stroking her back while her voice softly whispered in her ear, "I know."

* * *

 

The clearing where Fen and Koralle sparred was set a fair ways out into the woods; a short jog down a well-worn path through the trees bringing Fen to another clearing where their family home stood. The residence took inspiration from Ruby's childhood home, but while that had been a somewhat modest two-story, square-formed cabin, her family's current home could be more accurately termed an outright lodge. Three stories of wood-carved luxury and finely aligned stonework; elegantly slopped roofing and arches framing numerous windows from which the warm lighting inside emanated.

Looking up, Fen eyed a tower of sorts that rose up over the rest of the home; a flat section of the roof adjacent to it she knew held a meticulously maintained rooftop garden. Grinning, she flexed her arms; armored gloves covering her forearms shifting away, reconfiguring into a matching pair of steely tonfa, a gun barrel jutting out the end past each of her elbows. The transformation completed with knuckle-guards flipping up over her hands, fingers wrapping around the handles inside. Squeezing down on a trigger, she fired a shot straight into the ground, the powerful recoil sending her flying into the air.

Shot after shot rang out through the air as she propelled herself higher, until she crested her home entirely. Angling herself in the air, she began to fall towards the rooftop garden, just as planned. Just as she was about to land on her intended target however, her eyes widened at a glowing white sigil forming right where she intended to land. The glyph formed too late for her to react, the moment she touched it she felt it entrap her leg; her other limbs flailing about as she was pulled quickly towards the sliding glass doors leading inside.

Barely a second before she would have slammed into the glass, the door slid open, the glyph holding her foot vanishing immediately after, her momentum sending her tumbling head-over-foot to the floor of her mother's office. She just barely caught a glimpse of the white figure seated at the desk as she took her fall.

"Young lady, _what_ have I said about using the door?" a stern voice asked Fen as she groaned, rising up from the floor.

"To use the one on the ground floor," Fen grumbled out the familiar answer, patting herself down once she was standing, "But that's so boring!"

"Your alternative is terribly disruptive," Weiss pointed out, eying her daughter's weapons as they collapsed back to their arm-covering form.

"'Disruptive'?" Fen repeated with a snort, walking over to take a seat in one of the chairs situated in front of Weiss' desk, "To who, exactly? I know it takes more than a few gunshots to wreck your concentration, and the neighbours are used to way more noise when Kora and I spar."

Weiss simply gave a little hum of agreement as she set aside some of the documents scattered over her desk, "Which I thought you two were still doing; is there something you wanted me for?"

Fen's brow skewed slightly in confusion, "Mom said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Did she now?" Weiss briefly mirrored her daughter's confusion, two pairs of ice-blue eyes identical in their expression. Almost at the same time, their confusion dissipated as they seemed to reach the same conclusion.

"If she wanted to talk to Kora alone, she coulda just told me," Fen muttered with a sigh, slumping back in her seat.

"I suspect it was more for her benefit than yours," Weiss pointed out, eying her daughter as she slouched.

"I guess so," Fen grumbled in agreement, shifting to sit a bit straighter, catching the look.

"Everything alright?" Weiss asked after a moment of silence.

"Hmm? Yeah? Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well, you seem a bit upset. Particularly once you realized that your mom tricked you into coming to see me," she said, leaning forward at her desk.

"I... Yeah, I guess so," Fen admitted, sighing again, "Just wanted to spend as much time with Kora as I can, since I'm leaving soon."

Weiss accepted the answer with a nod, leaning back into her chair. She thought in silence for a few moments, humming softly before speaking up, "You know... your mom and I do have some clout at Beacon..."

"That's an understatement," Fen cut in, snorting again, quickly biting her tongue at the cross look her mother shot her.

"Yes, I suppose it is. My point being that, if we were to request it, it should be no matter for them to test Koralle for early admittance."

Fen perked up, blinking owlishly at her mother's words, "Really?!"

"Of course. It should be no trouble for her to pass any such tests if given the opportunity; you're both already twice the fighters Ruby or I were when we were your ages," Weiss said, smiling softly; no small amount of pride in her voice.

Fen was beaming at the prospect, ecstatic at the thought that her sister really could join her at Beacon as she seemed to so desperately want. Gradually though, her excitement was tempered, her expression falling as she thought the prospect over. Though the turmoil was plain on her face, Weiss remained quiet, waiting for her to speak up with her thoughts.

"That... really is an amazing offer mom, but..." Ruby probably would've echoed the "But" to prompt her to continue. Weiss, however, preferred to sit patiently, waiting for her daughter to collect her thoughts and continue, "I would love it, if Kora were to come to Beacon with me, but at the same time, I think it might be for the best if she... didn't."

"And why is that?" Weiss asked, sounding as though she already knew the answer.

"Well, I was just telling her earlier, how I won't always be able to be there, much as I want to be. Me going to Beacon ahead of her, and then her going through Beacon without me... I think it'd be good for her."

"For both of you," Weiss added.

"Huh?"

"You're saying you won't be feeling the separation anxiety, leaving your little sister behind?" Weiss pointed out, smirking in amusement at the embarrassed flush she got from Fen, "I agree. It will be good for her to learn to manage without you... and for you to learn to let her do so."

"C'mon, I'm not... _that_ overprotective..."

"I'm reasonably certain that Yang spent the first three years of your life actively conditioning you to be a big sister, and every subsequent year after Koralle was born reinforcing those behaviors," Weiss said, still smirking, "Probably would've done more if she hadn't had to start on her _own_ daughter's brainwashing..."

Fen laughed softly at the thought, shrugging as she spoke with a smile, "Well, it's a big sister's job to look after her little sister, right?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a small profile I wrote up for each of the RW-Kids! Hope you enjoyed their short tale; please, lemme know what you thought!
> 
>  **Fen Rose**  
>  • Older Sister by 3 Years  
> • Takes after her Auntie Yang  
> • **Favorite Colour:** Neon Pink  
>  • **Eye Colour:** Ice-Blue  
>  • **Hair Style:** Short (Ear-Length), messy  
>  • **Hair Colour:** White with a light pink undercurrent  
>  • **Weapon:** Dual-Wield Machine-gun Tonfa - _Glida Mars_  
>  • **Semblance:** Schnee Glyphs
> 
>  **Koralle Rose**  
>  • Younger sister by 3 Years  
> • Shy, introverted, depends on her big sister  
> • **Favorite Colour:** Black  
>  • **Eye Colour:** Silver; wears oval, rimless glasses  
>  • **Hair Style:** Short (Chin-Length), neatly-trimmed  
>  • **Hair Colour:** Neon-pink; wears a black rose as a decoration  
>  • **Weapon:** Dust Infusion Remote Greatsword - _Eibischwarz_  
>  • **Semblance:** Time Perception Dilation


	7. Day 7: Trust: Permission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss has some important questions to ask.

"Yang, do you trust me?"

Yang paused, mouth hanging open, stopping short of taking a bite out of the cream cheese-slathered bagel held in her right hand.

"Uhh... what brought this on?" she asked, lowering her treat from her mouth.

"Do you trust me?" Weiss repeated, looking and sounding deadly serious, leaning forward against the table, arms crossed on top of it as her icy blue eyes bored into the woman sitting across from her.

While Weiss' gaze was unwavering, Yang's lilac eyes blinked freely, rather taken aback by her intensity. It had been a pleasant surprise when her friend had called her up and asked if she'd like to get breakfast that morning; the two having arranged to meet at a cafe near both their homes. They'd just sat down at a booth near a window, Yang having finished preparing her bagel when Weiss had sprung this on her.

 "Well, yeah, of course I do," she answered. She raised her bagel back up, taking and swallowing a small bite as she thought, "We've known each other for years; been through Hell and back together. And remember when you opened up to me, when I was being all angsty over Blake?" she waited for Weiss to nod before continuing, "If it weren't for you I'd have probably taken way, way longer to work things out with her..." Trailing off, she smiled wryly, thinking over some 'What if' or another, "I mean, I trust you with my sister too, so that should be a pretty good hint!"

"Do you?" Weiss asked quickly.

"Huh?"

"Do you really? Trust me with her?" she repeated, her tone still as serious as Yang had ever seen her.

"Yeah...? Weiss, what is this about?" Yang's own voice took on some of that seriousness now; sitting a bit straighter as she stared back at Weiss.

Weiss held the stare a moment longer, seeming like she was searching for something in Yang's eyes. Finally, she closed her eyes, letting out a sigh as she reached under the table, pulling something out of her pocket. Licking a bit of cheese off a robotic finger, Yang's eyes widened when she saw Weiss set a small, hinged box on the table.

"Why, I don't know what to say! And really, right here, in some rundown cafe?" she gasped, placing a hand over her chest as she leaned back in her seat, "I thought you had more class than that!"

Weiss rolled her eyes with a huff, frowning as she shook her head, "Please, you love this place."

"Ah, guess that is true," Yang groaned, defeated, before leaning back in, propping her arms up on the table as she stared down at the little box, "So... you're serious?" she asked, eyes flicking up to meet Weiss'.

Smiling softly, she nodded her head, reaching out to pick up the box, turning it over in her hand slowly, "More than anything."

Yang watched her silently for a moment, before clapping her hands together. Rising from the table, she stepped around to stand beside Weiss, reaching down to pull her up into a hug, "Then welcome to the family little sis!" she declared gleefully.

Weiss groaned as she felt the blonde's powerful arms squeezing her in the crushing hug, "Yang, we're the same age, and she still has to say yes..."

"Hah!" Yang scoffed, releasing Weiss from her hold, letting her settle back into the booth, "Like there's any chance of her saying no."

"Well, you never know..." Weiss mumbled, looking away, out the window.

Yang blinked, walking back around to take her seat, staring at Weiss a tad dumbfounded, "Did you guys have a fight or something?" Weiss perked up, looking back at her, confused, "Like, is this just to make up for something? Or reassure her? Or lock it in, or something like that?"

"What? No! Don't be absurd," Weiss stated firmly, sounding offended by the implications.

"Then..." Yang thought it over a moment longer, the only other explanation for Weiss' hesitance being, "Oh my God," a huge grin broke out across her face, "You're nervous! You're actually nervous! You! Of all people!"

Weiss stiffened up, cheeks flushing a deep cherry red as Yang began to outright laugh at her, "Is there something wrong with that?!"

"Weiss, before you even turned twenty, you'd single-handedly killed a Geist in a suit of mecha-armor, were top of your class at Beacon Academy, made the finals at the Vytal Festival, and took down an entire swarm of Lancers," Yang listed off some of Weiss' early exploits as she fought to calm her laughter, " _How_ are you nervous?!"

"That's... that's all different!" Weiss insisted, "Grimm, school, fights, it's what we all trained for!" Sighing, she looked down at the box cradled in her hands again, smiling warmly as she spoke, "There's no class for... this," she blinked, frowning as something seemed to occur to her, "Wait, is ther-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there," Yang said, holding up her hand in a halting gesture, "You are not going to search for a _class_ you can take on how to propose."

"Fine," Weiss agreed, crossing her arms, slouching back in her seat.

"So, given any thought to how you'll actually ask her?" Yang asked.

Weiss let out a breath, again holding the box out in front of her, "I had a couple ideas, but nothing feels quite... right," she admitted with a sigh, frowning at the box before looking back up at Yang, "I don't suppose you have any input?"

Yang hummed in thought, eyes drifting upwards to stare at the ceiling as she bit into the second half of her bagel. Weiss watched her eat in silence for a few moments, frowning deeper by the moment as no answer was forthcoming. Finally seeming to give up, she huffed, tucking the box back into her pocket before starting on her own meal of toast and eggs.

The two ate in silence until Yang finished her bagel. Picking up her orange juice, she chugged the entire glass; slamming it down on the table with a refreshed gasp, startling Weiss. She had a certain spark in her eye, grinning wildly at her friend across from her.

"Weiss, do you trust me?"

* * *

 

"I'm home!" Ruby called, stepping through the threshold, immediately noting that the room was dark; only the faint light of sunset coming in through the windows illuminating the house, "Hello?"

Looking around, she quickly concluded that there was no one else home, which was certainly odd for the time of day. In the almost eerie silence, she soon focused in on a faint scratching sound against the wood floors, glancing down a shadowy hallway just in time to see a little black and white bundle skittering towards her.

"Zwei!" Ruby knelt down as her dog ran up to her, reaching to scratch and pet his ears and chin, "Do you know where Weiss is boy?"

Her faithful canine barked in seeming affirmation, quickly trotting over to the kitchen. Hopping up onto a stool by the island, he panted while waiting for Ruby to walk over. Looking around curiously, she spotted what he had apparently wanted to show her; a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk.

"This is nice boy, but these aren't Weiss," Ruby said with a giggle, one hand petting Zwei's head as the other reached out to take a cookie, "Tasty though."

Delicious, in fact. She recognized the flavour as being homemade by Weiss, she'd certainly come a long way from burning every batch she tried to cook; hers were now Ruby's absolute favorite kind of cookie! Sitting down beside her corgi, Ruby had a couple more before taking a sip of milk. Looking down at the plate, she noticed that there seemed to be something underneath the cookies. Setting the glass down, she tugged on a white corner, pulling a piece of paper out from the bottom of the plate.

_-A treat to brighten your day before you come find me._

Ruby quirked a brow, frowning thoughtfully as she read the note; hand-written in Weiss' elegant cursive. Come find her? What did she mean by that? Where was she then? Was she going to get a hint? Oh, was this a scavenger hunt or something?! Growing increasingly excited by her own curiosity, Ruby's attention was drawn by another bark from Zwei; finding that he'd made his way from the kitchen island over to the door. Barking again when he saw he had her attention, he turned and pushed out the doggy-door.

Following him out, Ruby looked around to see her pet having already made his way over to the treeline surrounding the house; barking at her again before disappearing into the undergrowth.

"Alright, lead the way my trusty hound!" Ruby declared, trusting in the corgi to lead her to Weiss.

Briefly activating her Semblance, she quickly caught up to him, trailing along after as he led her through the forest. While at first she'd enjoyed the little chase, she soon lost track of time, growing frustrated as she was led through the woods far away from home.

"Ugh, Zwei! C'mon, where're you leading me bo-" Ruby began to complain, before taking notice of something. She was far from her house, Ruby knew that much, and yet, "I know this path," she mumbled to herself, coming to a stop as she looked around at the surrounding trees.

Losing sight of Zwei, she turned around slowly, orienting herself to a familiar destination. Walking down a path she'd known all her life, it wasn't long before the trees parted, opening up to a magnificent seaside cliff. She could hear the surf crashing against the rock far below as she stepped forward, walking towards a stone plaque nestled near the edge.

"Took you long enough," Weiss taunted gently, glancing over from where she stood overlooking the tablet as she heard Ruby emerge from the forest.

"Weiss, what're you doing out here?" Ruby asked, confused, "Why'd you have Zwei lead me here?"

"I had something to ask you."

"Ask me?" Ruby just sounded more confused as she came to stand beside her. Looking down, she saw a single, fresh white rose laid over her mother's grave, "Why'd you get me out here, just to ask me something?"

"It was Yang's idea, actually," Weiss remarked, gazing out at the sunset colouring the ocean, "I have to say, it was a perfect suggestion."

"O-kay? That doesn't answer my question," Ruby mumbled, blinking when she felt Weiss taking her hand; smiling at the contact despite her confusion.

"I wish I could have met her," Weiss said, looking down at the gravestone.

"Mmm. I wish you could've too," Ruby agreed, smiling a bit wider, eyes glancing over the partially-obscured epitaph as she leaned in a bit closer to Weiss.

They stood together, basking in the serenity of the sunset together for a time; Ruby even forgetting her curiosity as to why they were even there. Eventually, Weiss did speak again, not wanting to lose the light; nor the courage she'd been building up in the time she'd spent waiting for Ruby to arrive.

"You and Yang... you've both told me, about how she basically raised you..."

"Mmm, that's right?" Ruby said, her earlier confusion resurfacing, "Best big sister ever."

"Indeed," Weiss agreed; she loved her own sister dearly, but she'd be hard-pressed to argue against Yang's credentials for that award, "which is why I'm glad... to know she trusts me."

"Trusts you?" Ruby quirked a brow, laughing softly at the thought, "Gosh I hope so; with all we all went through, it would be a disaster if she didn't!"

Weiss rolled her eyes, "Not what I meant. She trusts me when it comes to... you."

"Me?" Ruby tipped her head, thinking over what that meant, "What's that mean?" and finding herself coming up short.

"That she's okay with me doing this," Weiss lifted their joined hands, gently kissing Ruby's fingers, "and I hope that your mother would have been too."

"What, okay with you kissing my hand? I'm pretty sure she would be-" Ruby giggled, whatever else she was going to say dying in her throat as Weiss turned to her, eyes going wide as she crouched down on one knee.

"Ruby Rose, when we first met, I'd have never have imagined you becoming such an irreplaceable part of my life," she began, still holding one of her hands in her own, free hand fishing the ring box from her pocket, "I spent years questioning who I was. What I wanted. I'm still not sure I know entirely, but I know this much: whatever the future holds, nothing would make me happier than having you there with me," she opened the hinged box, exposing a simple, elegant diamond ring, "Will you marry me?"

Ruby's mouth hung open, wide silver orbs flicking back and forth between Weiss' face and the sparkling ring she held. Her hand felt limp in Weiss' own, and when enough time passed that she began to feel uncomfortable down on her knee, she gave it a small squeeze. That seemed to pull her out of her trance, as the next instant she'd tackled Weiss to the ground; rose petals fluttering around them as she embraced her tightly.

"Yes! Ohmygod yes! Definitely! Absolutely!" Ruby kept shouting affirmations, accentuating each one with a kiss peppered along Weiss' face; giggling giddily all the while.

Weiss laughed together with her, wrapping her arms around her beloved, reveling in the affection as they laid on the grass, basking in the sunset. When Ruby finally seemed to calm herself, she settled down snuggly on top of her fiancee; smiling joyously as she planted one last kiss on her lips.

"I love you," she cooed softly.

"I love you too," Weiss repeatedly warmly, happily nestled beneath her.

"Oh! Should probably put the ring on!"

Nodding in agreement, Weiss went to remove it from its box... which she realized was no longer clutched in her hand. Her heartbeat quickened slightly in panic as she looked around, searching for the box.

"Weiss? What is it?" Ruby asked, concerned by her behavior.

"The ring, I-I must have dropped it when you tackled me," she explained.

"Eh?! Oh, oh umm..." Ruby joined her in looking around frantically, letting out a happy gasp as she pointed a short distance away, "There it is!"

Weiss dropped her head, eyes following to where Ruby pointed, smiling when she spotted the box too. Her smile was quickly overtaken by a deep grimace when she noted the ring did not appear to be _in_ the box any more. She turned to look back up at the beautiful dolt sat on top of her.

"Eheh... sorry?" she offered apologetically, flush with embarrassment.

Weiss glared up at her for a moment, before slumping against the ground, letting out a sigh, "I don't know what I was expecting."

"Hmm... well, better get used to it?" Ruby said, settling down on top of Weiss again, grinning as she rested her chin on her collarbone.

Weiss seemed to hum in thought, slowly wrapping her arms around Ruby again, cuddling her close, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I probably really stretched the "Trust" prompt, huh? Just could not think of anything to write for it, and when this idea came to me, I figured I might as well just go with it! I really hope that people like it anyway; please, please let me know what you thought!
> 
> Thanks so, so much for reading my White Rose Week One-shots! (Or 2+ shot, since I'm gonna try and write a bit more for the Fantasy AU)


	8. Day 8: Fantasy AU: Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss never thought she'd have a guest visit her lonely mountain tower. She certainly never thought said guest would ever return either.

Stupid, stupid, _stupid girl!_

Weiss' thoughts were erratic, rushed with panic as she practically leapt across her gardens. A glyph spun to life under said stupid girl's foot, cutting through the petals that gripped her leg; Weiss closing in to catch Ruby in her arms as she fell away from the deadly plant.

"Ruby? Ruby?! Answer me!" the Sorceress shouted in vain, the girl having fainted before she'd even reached her.

She looked even paler than she recalled from their brief meeting earlier; flesh breaking out in a cold sweat, shuddering as she held her. Her eyes focused on the oversized petals clinging to her leg, and the blood leaking out from where their edges met. The thorns were the cause, but also abated the worst of the potential bleeding, buying her precious time to save her. She may have only just met this girl, but having someone die in her home was not a thought she savored.

Relying on magic for most day-to-day activities didn't build a great deal of physical strength, leaving Weiss surprised when she was able to lift Ruby up into her arms, cradling her like a princess. But she didn't have the time to much think on how light the girl in red was; rushing her downstairs once her initial surprise had passed. Laying her gingerly down on her bed, she had the passing thought that bloodstains would hopefully be easy to remove from the similarly coloured blanket. Again though, she hadn't the time to linger on such thoughts, quickly running down to her supply room, retrieving a few potions and salves she had prepared for an emergency.

Though they kept her from bleeding out in an instant, Weiss knew she would have to remove the thorns from Ruby's leg. But that carried a very real risk that she _would_ then bleed out; an inevitability if they remained regardless. Steeling herself, the Sorceress set about the arduous task of prying the petals from her customer-cum-patient's leg. One dagger-like thorn at a time.

She had thought there had been a lot of blood before, but as she began, it wasn't long before her hands were soaked bright red. The stench of it filled the air, growing thicker with each passing moment. She did her best to minimize how much Ruby lost her lifeblood; glyphs slowing the flow of the crimson fluid as she pried each thorn from her flesh before applying a salve to the wound. Yet still the fear was ever present in her mind: what if she failed? What if this girl died here, on her own bed? The frequent, pained whimpers she let out as she slept didn't help reassure her in the slightest either. The scent, the sounds, the feel and look of her bloodied leg; all of it made Weiss sick to her stomach. Yet she persevered. She had to.

When at long last all four petals had been removed, Weiss felt relief wash over her. Ruby was breathing heavily, sweating and whimpering as she slumbered, but the worst part was over; she was confident that she wouldn't die. Not if she had anything to do with it. Grabbing one of the potions she'd fetched, she tipped Ruby's head up, managing to get her to drink some with a bit of effort. While her sleeping patient cringed at first as she was made to drink the vial's contents, Weiss felt further relief when her body began to relax shortly after.

She felt herself relax somewhat too, able to take her time in properly examining Ruby's injured leg. Blood was beginning to seep through the salve she'd applied to her cuts in places, and her foot looked a bit burned; a product of the corpse flower's digestive fluids. She had to remove the torn and bloodstained hose covering her, tossing the ruined garment away to be repaired later. Careful as ever, she went about properly cleaning the numerous wounds dotting Ruby's leg before applying more salve to stem the bleeding; finishing up by applying a cream to her burned foot. Once she was satisfied, she wrapped the entire leg in bandages.

Her treatment seemingly at an end, Weiss stood, a glyph spinning to life under Ruby's leg as she cast a spell to expedite her healing. She let out a gasp though, the white light flickering and fading almost immediately as she stumbled forward, catching herself against the bed. She realized then just how utterly _exhausted_ she was; completely drained by how much magic she'd expended just to keep Ruby from bleeding to death.

Letting out a sigh as she realized that trying to outright heal her with magic was impossible in her current state, she settled on a simpler task: cleaning the blood from her blanket. Once that trifle was dealt with, she pulled the cleaned fabric over her patient, tucking her in to rest. Finished at last, Weiss retreated out to her library, slumping in her chair, not an ounce of energy left in her. Now all she could do was wait for Ruby to awake...

* * *

 

Despite her... difficulties, getting to sleep that night, Weiss woke up feeling oddly refreshed. Perhaps it was a result of how she had so completely exhausted herself? Or the relief in having saved a life? She looked to the girl with black and crimson hair still sleeping peacefully a few feet away from her; only realizing moments later that she'd been staring at her slumbering face, a smile coming unbidden to her face. She'd only been confirming that the slight colour had returned to her, replacing the worrisome, anemic pallor following her accident, obviously.

After rising from bed, Weiss allowed Ruby to sleep a while longer as she prepared some breakfast to send her on her way. The two ate a simple meal of eggs in silence before Ruby redressed in her gear to brave the cold outdoors.

"Don't go stepping in any more man-eating flowers, alright?" Weiss told Ruby as they stood by the entryway.

"Haha, very funny," Ruby replied with a roll of her eyes, pausing as she thought over the statement, "Wait, those don't actually grow around here, do they?!"

Weiss let out a small chuckle at the sheer terror in Ruby's voice, "No, they don't," she assured her. "Which will make it very difficult for me to acquire another," she said, crossing her arms.

"Uh... y-yeah, sorry... about that?" Ruby offered; truthfully not sorry at all that the plant which had almost killed her had to die.

Weiss frowned, glaring at her, recognizing the insincere tone. She relented, letting out a sigh after a few moments of Ruby shrinking back under her gaze, "It's fine. It's just a plant. Better it than you."

"R-Right..." while Weiss could discern the falsehood of Ruby's apology, Ruby found that she couldn't tell if the Sorceress actually meant what she said. "Thank you Weiss, for..." she held up a faintly glowing orange vial, smiling warmly at the elixir she'd come for in the first place, "for everything."

Weiss nodded, wincing together with Ruby as one of her glyphs pulled a door open, allowing the cold morning air to rush into the foyer.

"You're welcome. I'm... glad, that you're okay," Ruby smiled, finding that she was able to hear the sincerity in Weiss' voice when she said that, "and I hope that elixir is able to help your father."

"I'm sure it will! You saved me, you'll definitely save him too!" Ruby's certainty brought a small smile to Weiss' lips in kind.

Waving farewell, Ruby moved to step beyond the threshold into the cold, unforgiving wilderness. Watching her leave, Weiss felt as though there was something else she wanted to say. Yet it caught in her throat as she watched her first (and probably last) guest descent the steps of her vestibule.

"Ruby!" by some miracle she found her voice, Ruby's arm stilling as she looked at the Sorceress curiously, "If... If you find yourself in need again, I'll be here," she told her, gesturing upwards to the lonely mountain tower.

Ruby blinked, looking surprised by the offer. Soon she was giving Weiss a beaming smile, nodding her head vigorously, "Thank you, you're amazing Weiss!"

Weiss blinked as well, hopeful that the lighting would disguise the blush that warmed her cheeks. She watched as Ruby departed, waving back to her energetically, only turning around when she was halfway across the clearing leading back to the woods. Weiss waved back rather weakly, but still didn't shut the door until she'd turned around. She wasn't sure why she'd made that offer. How it had escaped her lips. She fully expected to never see that girl again so long as she lived.

* * *

 

The first day after Ruby had visited her, Weiss found her thoughts lingering on the girl in red. And why wouldn't they? After all, she had to spend most of it cleaning up the mess she'd left behind. Cleaning out the pots and pans she'd used to cook for her. The glassware and tools she'd concocted the elixir for her father in. Reorganizing the leftover ingredients and materials used in making said elixir, and in healing the aftermath of her accident. And of course, uprooting the remains of the flower; harvesting what she could from its remains.

The second day after Ruby's visit, Weiss' thoughts yet lingered on her. While the previous day had mostly been frustration over how much trouble she'd caused her, now she was dominated by concern. She worried over whether she'd gotten home safely or not. If the treatment for her leg had held. If she was healing up properly. If her father was improving at all from the elixir. Perfectly reasonable concerns to have about a patient.

The third day, Weiss felt a growing annoyance towards herself, trying to make a more concentrated effort at _not_ thinking about her unexpected guest. She poured all of her focus that she could muster into her daily routine: inventory, cleaning, gardening, experimentation. Yet still her mind would wander from time to time; drifting back to thoughts of a beaming, happy smile.

She was standing in front of her stove that night, preparing a cut of beef from her stores when she heard it. She was confused at first, by an odd noise that seemed to be echoing faintly from the adjacent chamber. More-so by how it was simultaneously familiar, yet not. Suddenly it dawned on her; the noise was one she was not used to hearing, but that she had heard recently all the same. Knocking on her door.

Compared to her hesitance three days prior, she surprised herself with how she rushed out the kitchen door, down the stairs to the great double doors. She pried the door open, paying little mind to the gust of chilly winter wind that rushed past her; her attention focusing upon the fluttering red cape carried by it.

"Ah! Hi Weiss!" Ruby chirped, waving to her excitedly, beaming smile just as she remembered.

"Ruby? What are you doing here?" Weiss couldn't take her eyes off her, mouth gaping a bit as she stared. Ruby's first visit had been unexpected, yet despite her invitation, her return was an even greater surprise.

"Oh! Uhh... mind if I come in? It's really, _really_ cold out here!" Ruby yelled over the wind, hugging herself, rubbing her arms as she gave a powerful shudder to emphasize her point.

Used to the cold though she was, Weiss had to admit Ruby spoke true. The sun had set already, and the night air carried a sharp chill that it lacked during the daytime. As before, Weiss moved to allow Ruby entrance, closing the vast door behind her once she'd darted inside.

"Oh that's so much better!" Ruby said with a loud sigh, finding even the still relatively chill antechamber to be a vast improvement.

"Come, I was just cooking dinner; the kitchen is plenty warm," Weiss told her, gesturing up the stairway before walking ahead of her.

Ruby followed her eagerly, letting out another happy sigh as she passed through the door into the warm kitchen. Taking off her boots immediately, leaving them by the wood pile, she went to take a seat at the table. Weiss had gone into the pantry, coming back out with another cut of meat, adding it to the pan on the stove before taking the seat across from Ruby, eying her curiously.

"What are you doing here Ruby?" she repeated the question, feeling a bit on edge, "Is your leg alright? Is it healing properly? Is your father improving?" she shot off question after question rapidly, giving voice to the thoughts that had plagued her.

"Woah, woah!" Ruby raised her hands, waving them in front of her to try and calm Weiss, "I'm fine," she assured her, "my leg was a bit sorer than usual after walking home, but I don't think I started bleeding again. And yeah! My dad practically leapt out of bed the day after I gave him your elixir; it worked perfectly!"

Weiss let out a sigh of relief at the good news, glad to hear that Ruby was healing fine and that her father had taken a turn for the better. But that still left the matter of why she was there now.

"If you and your father are both fine, then why are you here?" she asked again, eying her with renewed confusion, trying to puzzle out the answer, "You mentioned a sister before; has she taken ill too?"

"What, Yang? No, she's fine," Ruby answered, looking down at the table thoughtfully, whispering to herself, "Actually I'm not sure I can ever remember her falling ill..."

Weiss confusion only grew, staring at the hooded girl across from her, "Then why...?"

"Hmm?" Ruby looked up at her, apparently not having properly heard her.

"Why are you here, Ruby?" Weiss asked. Again. If she had to repeat herself one more time, she was fairly certain she would scream the question at her.

"Oh, uh, r-right..." Ruby trailed off, Weiss quirking a brow as she saw her pale features flushing to match the undercurrent visible beneath her black hair, "I um... I... wanted to see you...?"

Weiss blinked, taking a moment to process that. Her flush, embarrassed manner, and the words she spoke. As she came to understand them, she felt her own cheeks growing pinkish, "Excuse me?"

"I wanted to see you," Ruby repeated, a bit more certainly; managing a small, warm smile, "I had a question for you."

Weiss felt her heart beating faster in her chest. Her blush darkening, growing even more noticeable on her porcelain skin. She wanted to see her? That was it? She just... wanted to see her? Why did that thought make her heart stutter like it was? And what question was so important that she would come all this way just to ask it?

She let out a shaky breath that she hadn't even realized she was holding, sitting up stiffly in her seat, "Yes? Wh-what is it?"

"Weiss, would you..." she trailed off, the Sorceress' anticipation growing with each second, "Would you teach me magic?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By popular demand (or the couple comments more the Fantasy AU chapter got than any other), here's chapter 2, I guess?  
> Got a couple more ideas for what to do with it besides just some slice-of-life stuff as I wrote this out, so if people are interested, I think I'll continue it. Maybe post the first two chapters separate from the rest of the White Rose Week stuff, after I've gotten a couple more down. But if not, here's a little more anyway to cap off the week!
> 
> Thanks to those who commented and gave kudos; this series of one(or two)-shots is the most I've ever written in a short time, and it was really a lot of fun! Happy White Rose Week everyone, hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.


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